


Doppelgänger

by rainsonata



Category: Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dimension Travel, Gen, if not third paths show up in a side story or a sequel if I finish this, it's a crossover waiting to happen, no ships but there will be ship teases sprinkled here and there, rating has been raised to M due to a certain character, read notes for list of specific classes, the crossover fic KOG never realized, third paths may come in later chapters, we have Mad Paradox and Metamorphy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 21:34:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 41,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18646525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainsonata/pseuds/rainsonata
Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves





	1. Another World

**Author's Note:**

> _Canon Path_ : Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen 
> 
> _Alternate Path_ : Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

_Rune Master_

 

Once the El Search Party parted away from the ruins of the ancient capital for their next destination, everything was starting to look blue. It gave the Rune Master a headache to how everything down to the soil had traces of cyan, the color of toothpaste and hurt his eyes. Due to the influence of the El, it was difficult to tell if night time came because the forest glowed regardless of what time of the day it was. He was going to lose Richter at this rate because the trees were the same shade as the priest’s hair.   

The El’s presence attracted monsters and anyone else that wanted it for personal gain, including the corrupted monsters that were once Henir’s followers. Their numbers ever-growing, it felt wrong to leave them to the El Masters despite being told it to. Running away from the enemies didn’t sit well for Rune, but half of his friends wanted to visit the demon realm. For different reasons, but at least they had a common interest, which was all that mattered because it was better than sitting around and waiting to see what the enemies next objective would be. At least until they figured out how to reach Demon Realm.   

“What is this?” Abysser asked. The demon squinted at the strange device, plated in black material similar to the Henir monsters they fought in Elrianode. Blue light flickered through the minuscule windows covering its sides and shone as his teammate tinkered with its coding. “This machine you claim to work...”

“Of course it will,” A man in white didn’t look up from his machines, his gaze glued to holographic screens that never seemed to run out of power. Legs crossed, Dominator kept his balance sitting on Dynamo and hummed as he worked. “I figured out the basis of how it functions. All we need now are new coordinates.”

“That’s great!” Rune was impressed by to how quick his friends were in utilizing the little material they had in Elrianode. Rubbing his hands together, he grinned, “See? That didn’t take long!”

“Who are you trying to convince?” A woman dressed in purple kicked her shoes for ruffled frills to shimmer under the night sky. Oz watched her breaths evaporate into the cold air and ran her hand through her hair with an exaggerated sigh, “You’re the one rushing to leave.”

Rune’s cheeks flushed to the same shade of red as his hair, glancing down and avoiding looking at Oz, who was definitely snickering over his embarrassment. What did the Oz Sorcerer know about what went through his mind? The El may have increased his powers, but being close to a powerful energy source left static in the air that made Rune self-aware of his powers and feared setting something ablaze if he wasn’t careful. He huffed and maturely stuck out his tongue at the dark mage before turning his head to look at the device in Dominator’s hand.  

“How does this work?” Flame scratched the back of her neck, “Say it again for some of us to understand.” 

“It was once connected to the Heart of Henir and will take us straight to the Demon Realm,” Dominator wasn’t fazed by the Flame Lord’s uncertainty. One could say he was beaming on the concept of potential interdimensional traveling, too eager on the new discovery to be bothered by small questions. He chuckled, “No need to thank me.”

Flame had her knuckles placed under her chin for support, a thoughtful expression on her face. Rune could see the wires turning as his sister processed the new information and accepted the explanation with a nod.  

“And this will transport all of us?” Blade asked.   

“Where is this sudden skepticism coming from?” Dominator looked up from the screens to see the mercenary gingerly tapping the surface with his Nasod arm. “Are you doubting my perfect plan?”

“Last machine,” the Furious Blade deadpanned. “Bugs.” (1)

“You remembered that?” Dominator covered his mouth, but Rune could hear the amusement in his voice. “Anyway, that’s in the past. Things will be different this time.”  

“What machine?” Rune asked. How come Blade got to tinker with Dominator’s inventions while he was pushed out for ‘messing with important data’ when he tried to break into the scientist’s lab? He leaned over to see numbers and letters running across Dominator’s screen, too quickly for anyone aside from the scientist to understand them.

“It was supposed to kill mosqui-”

“If it could transport enough monsters to fight us, it can handle a dozen of us.” Fatal Phantom said with nervous laughter. “How long will it be until it’s done setting up?”

“As soon as you all stop talking and let me work.” Dominator complained, but the effect was lost in a smile as if pleased by the sudden attention by his teammates. Scanning over the screens for last-minute adjustments, he mumbled to himself, “What else?”     

“Elsword,” a male voice called. “There you are.” 

“Ain!” Rune spun to see a blue-haired man in white robes with a somber expression. Spreading his arms in a gestural hug, he exclaimed, “I was starting to think I lost you back there with the Elrianode monsters!”

“You remembered me,” Richter blinked, as if the celestial couldn’t believe it.

“Of course I do,” Rune frowned at his friend’s statement, confused to why that surprised the priest.

Richter has been bringing up that topic more lately - memories, missions, whether or not he would be remembered. He thought after near corruption from Henir and apologizing to Timoria in Elrianode, Richter would be more at peace with himself. Quiet as ever, Richter didn’t express it, but his eyes crinkled to Rune wrapped his arms around his friend into a tight hug to let him know the redhead was there for him.   

A pair of mechanical wings came into view from Rune’s peripheral vision, drawing his attention to see Code: Ultimate with Moby and Remy. Arms to her side, the Nasod queen’s forehead was framed by a black helmet matching with the rest of her armor, wings folded in to make space for Rune to approach his teammate. Cold and stoic, her face betrayed little as the knight searched for answers to why Ultimate looked so stern.   

“Heya, Eve.” Rune chirped and let go of Richter. “Are you here to remind me about something?”

“Yes,” Ultimate said. Side eying Dominator, who was still mumbling numbers to himself, she placed a hand over Rune’s shoulder and nodded to Richter. “If you mind, we need to talk. Away from everyone.”

“Both of you?” Rune was flabbergasted when she ushered him to the side, closer to the edge of the woods where the party chose as their new resting area. His hands growing warm at thought of what could have nudged Ultimate and Richter to team up. “What is it?”

It must be serious if they confronted him on an individual basis, was it about Demon Realm? But why Ultimate too? She had no reason to be affected by demons, but it was Richter that worried Rune. The priest was surprisingly impulsive around demons as evident when he lost control in Feita and disappeared. Richter retained his composure since then, but after what happened between him and Timoria last week…   

“The El has been temporarily restored because of your interference.” Light flickered in her eyes, but Ultimate blinked and it was gone, “It’s stable for now, but there isn’t much time for us to find a new source before that it becomes unstable again. When entering the Demon Realm, it’s best that you let us take care of the demons.”    

“Huh?” Rune tilted his head to the side.

“Consult us,” Richter said. “Think before you act.” 

Rune opened his mouth in protest, “If this is because of Solace.”

“It’s because you do things without telling us first,” Ultimate snapped. “You discarded yourself without considering the consequences or how the rest of the group would respond. I won’t hesitate in fighting if you fail to reassess yourself next time.”

Spears drew out from Ultimate, long blades emerging from her back and pointing at Rune to make her point. He snapped his mouth shut at first sign of anger from the Nasod queen, grumbling as he did so, feeling Richter’s daggers drilled into the back of his head.      

“You wouldn’t hurt me, would you Eve?” Rune gave her the best puppy eyes he could make, searching for hints of joking or sarcasm from Ultimate, only to see cold ones staring back.

“We have alchemists on our team to keep you alive.” Richter said, yet Rune found little reassurance in those words. 

It was naive to believe what Rune did would be dropped in a matter of weeks, but it stung that the more stoic of his friends showed strong emotions. Richter’s disappointment was like a sharp blade through his chest, feeling guilty if the celestial had nothing to say and mouthed an incohesive phrase in an unfamiliar tongue.

Uh oh… The priest must be furious if he was swearing in another language.

“What are you guys doing?” Anemos appeared between them. Pulling Rune away from Ultimate, who still had her weapons out, the elf groaned. “We’re about to depart and you three are fighting?”

Withdrawing her spears, Ultimate lowered her head. “I apologize. I won’t let this happen again.”

Rubbed his temples, Rune interjected. “It’s nothing. Tell Add we’ll be ready in a bit.”

Unconvinced, Anemos had her hands on her hips. “Just don’t lose your heads over petty fights.”

“I’ll make sure Elsword is safe,” Richter promised the elf.

What happened to the threats on keeping him alive, speared or not by Ultimate? Sparks emitted from Rune’s fingertips at the earliest signs of annoyance, a newfound emotion as of lately. He could take care of himself fine! It was clear that his friends were worried for his safety, but he didn’t need to be coddled like a child. Maybe it was a bit of pride on his part, but it served as an aching reminder to how far he had to grow if he wanted to be taken seriously.

Rune sighed. Nothing will be accomplished if he didn’t keep pushing forward like he always did. No use in dwelling over small things like pride. It wasn’t his style. Guilt surfaced once he recognized the sadness in Ultimate’s features.         

“I don’t think you realize the effect you have on people,” she uttered. “That’s why I’m upset.” 

That snapped Rune out of his trance and looked at Ultimate in distraught. He had known her for years since they have met in Altera, but this was the closest thing she had come to admitting her emotions out in the open. Confusion hazed his mind as he swallowed down the guilt.

“Now I do,” Rune admitted. “That’s why I’m trying to make up for everything.”

“You don’t need to change,” Richter said. “Stay the way you are.”

Looking at the two, Rune smiled. Their words held weight, but their expressions and body language told another story. Tense from his impulsive decisions, yet they stayed because they trusted him and fussed over him. He had underestimated how much his friends valued him. How he be blind?

A pair of purple cat ears poked from the side of a small bush. Rune blinked and turned his head again, but there was nothing. His paranoia told him it was another corrupted monster, but sneaking around was out of character. Rune sighed and rested his chest over the base of his sword. 

“Thanks, guys.” Rune said with a smile, “Let’s get going before everyone wonders where we went.” 

* * *

_Comet Crusader_

 

Cannon laid down by his side, Crusader leaned over and wiped the edges clean with a cloth until it shone. Black soot and ashes smeared over his hands and some fell on his white armor. It was a routine for the guardian of Hamel, one that required diligence to make sure he reached all the corners and sides of the cannon. The destroyer was easily taller than him, but creating and testing new functions to stay up to date with their fighting situation kept Crusader on his toes.

“Chung?”

He looked up to see a man glancing over at him with concern. Wearing a collared shirt with long sleeves cuffed at the end, Cavalier’s hair was tied into a thin ponytail trailing behind the half-demon. Balancing on one hand was a blue tray with a tea kettle and pristine teacups in a neat stack of twos or threes. If Cavalier hasn’t spoken up, Crusader wouldn’t have heard the butler approach him. 

“Did you get any sleep?” Cavalier frowned, “You look exhausted.”

Wiping his brow, Crusader laughed. “Hardly. Thanks for worrying about me.”

Setting the tea tray onto the grass, Cavalier offered him a cup. “Would you care to join me for tea then?”

Crusader nodded.

Using the tea tray for a flat surface, Cavalier held the tea kettle up and carefully poured a cup to offer to Crusader before pouring one for himself. The butler followed the younger male as he grabbed the sugar bowl to drop a couple of sugar cubes into his tea. White clouds turned into mist inside his cup as Crusader stirred the contents with a spoon. Its aromatic smell invited him to take a sip.   

It wasn’t the first time he had Lanox tea. Apsara’s herbal teas had a sharp and bitter taste that reminded him of the earth on summer mornings, but Cavalier’s had a clean yet sweet taste at first sip. He let the light and spicy aftertaste linger on the tip of his tongue as the butler spoke.

“You’re committed,” Cavalier eyed the destroyer on the ground. “You should be resting.”

“Ain healed me,” Crusader grew defensive. 

“Even magic can’t heal scars.”     

Small tugs and stinging sensations strained his muscles at a moment’s movement with Crusader setting his teacup down on the tray to pause. With limited resources, potions and elixirs exclusive were weaker and took longer to heal injuries that once recovered within hours. Injuries weren’t new for him, especially with stronger enemies waiting for them at every turn, but it pained him in know he was dragging the team down for being hurt. 

Burnt marks over his chest were from Nephilim Lord. They were clean cuts, making them easier to clean and bandage every few hours, but the pain inflicted held a constant icy burn over the days he spent healing. He knew the Lord of Spirit Asylum was influenced during the attack, but bitterness lingered as an afterthought. Once again, someone or _something_ reached their goal before they did. How much longer could they do this until the gap between them and their enemies was too much?

“I’m not angry at you,” Cavalier said with kindness. “It was a tough battle against Nephilim Lord. You’re not the only one that got hurt.”

“I know,” Crusader stared at the crimson mist hovering over their campsite. “This really is the Demon Realm… Everything here is different than what we’ve encountered before.” 

Demon Realm, or as the dark elves dubbed it as Varnimyr had contrasts. Red mist against blue trees and there were numerous moons instead of the suns Elrianode had. Eternal nights overtook the region with many of its inhabitants using their body or external means to brighten the dark forest with fluorescent light. They have found a way to flourish with limited resources. 

Crusader had found his strength in recent battles against stronger enemies the longer he fought, but was it enough to withstand future enemies? Far from the El’s influence, his powers have weakened and to his astonishment, Cavalier and Ishtar were affected as well.     

“I suppose it’s different than what we’re used to,” Cavalier agreed. “But that didn’t stop us in Elysion or Elrianode, did it? We sorted out the misunderstanding with Nephilim Lord and are closer to our goal than before.” 

Crusader wasn’t one to ponder over his friends’ histories out of respect, but with Cavalier, it was hard not to be curious, if not wary. What was a human like Cavalier doing with a former demon queen and what could have happened to have them act as one unit? Their fighting style synchronized in a way that couldn’t have been achieved without magic involved, leaving much to Crusader’s imagination to why or how.

No, that was none of his business! The El Search Party were at their most vulnerable in a place outside their comfort. Those two have stayed long enough to have plenty of opportunities to backstab them if that was their intention. He needed to have faith in the Knight Emperor’s judgment in letting Cavalier and Ishtar be a part of their group. However, no amount of loyalty in his closest friend could undo the ongoing suspicion he had on a pair of demons, even if one of them was _half_ demon.     

“You’re right, it’s too late to have doubts after coming this far.” Crusader was apologetic. “I’m sorry for taking up your time to attend to my needs.”

Cavalier said, “I need to be here for my friends too. You don’t need to apologize.”

“I guess so,” Crusader broke into an awkward smile. “Where’s Lu?”

Taking his cup in one hand, he held it to his eye level. A unique design of intricate lines cut into the edges to form into flowers native to Lanox, it was a true work of art. He admired the effort his teammate had put into making tea in enemy territory when they should be rushing back to Elrianode to report their findings to the El Masters.

The butler sighed, “Still asleep. It’s been a long week for all of us. I won’t bother her.”

“There you are!”

Purple hair obscured his view with color matching eyes narrowed with displeasure. Cheeks puffed out and bright pink, a look of distraught as Aether Sage folded her arms inward to hug herself. The white jacket she wore slide over her shoulders and the bow on her collar was uncharacteristically uneven today. One might think the woman was hit by a hurricane by the two strands of hair standing over her roots with the rest of her hair in a mess of disarray.   **  
**

“Have you seen Elsword?” Aether asked out of breath. “He’s gone!”

Rubbing his chin, Cavalier shook his head sullenly. “He offered to help me with the chores this morning, but I saw him just an hour ago. Have you checked his tent?”  

She sighed. “I told him not to move around after that fight. Why doesn’t he ever listen?” 

“Let me go look for him,” Cavalier said. “He might be training with Raven again. Why don’t you and Chung search the surrounding areas?”

Lowering his cup onto a tea plate, Cavalier set it down to grab a platter of pastries over to his left. Croissants, fruit tarts, and bread rolls stacked on top of one another with slices of preserved meat in between. Placing inside a small cloth bag for storage, it was enough food to last them for a few meals.  

“You don’t think he’s going to be gone for that long, do you?” Alarm rose in Aether’s voice in response to seeing what was meant to be their rations. “He’s been fine before.”

“We _are_ in Demon Realm,” Crusader placed his hand on his destroyer for support to stand up. Quiet grunts escaped from his lips as he struggled to find his footing, leaning against his weapon. “Even with the dark elves on our side, demons are waiting for us.”

“I know that,” Aether snapped. “That idiot better not do something stupid again.”

One moon hung over his shoulder with light soaking into their path as he and Aether walked past their campsite in search for their missing teammate. Radiant colors danced off the fungi and fauna lining up the dirt road, glowing faintly in time to the chilling breeze sending shivers down his skin. An eerie silence occupied alongside their heavy footsteps with quiet sighs and breathing from either of them. With better luck, maybe Cavalier could find Knight before they had to consider researching past familiar territory.      

“Was there something you needed Elsword for?” Crusader asked.   

“I was going to check his bandages,” she said. “Ain can’t always be there for him.”  

Blinking a few times, he looked at her in confusion. “I suppose so. Did he say anything about where he went?” 

“Elsword said he needed to talk to the dark elves again,” Aether groaned. “That was this morning. He should have been back by now, but his stuff is still gone. He needs to stop acting like he’s alone in this, we’re here too!”  

“I don’t think that’s why he does things alone.”

“What do you know what about Elsword thinks?” She was hard-pressed to let Crusader back down, demanding answers and glaring at the guardian of Hamel.

Despite knowing her for years, it surprised Crusader to see the mage initiate interactions with Knight, who often buried her head into books with a sandwich in hand outside of battles. What brought on the sudden change in tune? After rescuing Knight from the El, something happened to make Aether stay close, her attention always drawn back to the redhead. Harsh words from before softened into mild comments on Knight needed to look after himself more. Her tough exterior always wavered to reveal a gentler side for her friends as evident when she approached Crusader to help. She was stubborn about showing her emotions, but she didn’t let her pride stop her from seeking help. It was something Crusader admired about the mage.      

If Knight went back to talk to the dark elves, he couldn’t be far, but the village’s location remained unknown. Unless he had gone back to talk to Edith, the dark elf elder who granted them an ear to listen to their side of the story after the El Search party was caught by their sentry guardians. Were the dark elves still there? Crusader saw the tents waiting for them in a distance. What could be on Knight’s mind to seek the dark elves first instead of his friends?

“What am I doing losing my temper with you? You’re not Elsword.” Aether rubbed her temples, “I shouldn’t have said any of that. It’s just frustrating feeling like he left us again.”

“Well, he does what he thinks is right, even if it means going through demons.” Crusader chuckled, “We’ll catch up to him.”

“Then we better hurry,” she tugged on her white gloves to tighten them with her stuff between her arms. “I don’t want to look like a fool because he did all the fighting without us.”

Striking her staff overhead, water danced across her feet from the puddles and morning dew, lifting her feet to leap as the stream turned into solid ice. Awe and wonder stole Crusader’s concentration as Aether landed on her feet and slid over the frozen path with her hair flying from behind. Thin layers of frost brushed over the ice in powdered snow, water droplets surfacing before freezing again from the cold air. Flowered patterns overlapped as Aether slid forward to form a path with magic emitting from her staff.  

Mud mixed with thin layers of ice made it difficult for Crusader to skate without losing his balance. Aether didn’t seem to notice his struggle and was already several meters ahead with her head held up high. Following after his teammate, all Crusader could do was to make sure he wouldn’t lose the mage in the fog.  

* * *

_Flame Lord_

 

“I’m back!”

Out of breath, Rune waved his arm over his head, red hair mopped over his head in disarray not unlike a bushfire. Walking from behind him were Richter and Ultimate, maintaining stoic expressions on smooth features as the first hint that they weren’t of human origin. Their walking movements had the same grace as angels. Anemos was the last to appear with her arms crossed with mild frustration from the way she bit into her inner cheek. Did something happen back there without her knowledge?     

“Took you long enough,” Dominator scoffed. He tucked his bangs behind his left ear, only for it fall back and cover his eye again. “If you walk off again, we’re leaving you behind.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Ultimate gave the scientist a cold glare. 

Attentive and precise in the smallest details, the care Dominator placed into a device that wasn’t of his creation impressed the Flame Lord. It reminded her of the kind of care she placed into cleaning her claymore in between battles. According to Dynamo, it has been over an hour since Dominator made adjustments to stabilize it. There was something mesmerizing in watching him work with something Flame had little understanding of.  

Half of the El Search Party grew restless from the wait and drifted away in groups of twos and threes. Phantom sat on the floor to clean his phantom shooters. Blade and Abysser recounted their supplies in preparation for the upcoming journey, a quiet discussion among themselves with Timoria giving them tips on rationing food. Devi said little, but the Haan warrior held a steady gaze when their eyes met.  

“Do we all have to hold it to activate it?” Flame asked. From what Blade had told her, an earlier invention held a similar function as to what Dominator was currently working on.  

The scientist’s brows rose, “It should work as long as we’re all touching each other while one of us holds the device.” 

“So we should hold hands,” Rune grabbed the scientist’s arm and cheered. “I’ll be your partner!”

“Don’t decide things for me without my permission!” Dominator protested.

Flame’s heart fluttered as Dynamo blinked pink (“It’s magenta!” Dominator huffed.), her skin patched with sweat not because of the sparks threatening to escape from her warm palms. They were doing it. Demon Realm was minutes away from their reach.

Entering the strange dimension demons considered to be home was something she had anticipated for years. It was a strategic decision to initiate their attack on the source of their troubles in Elrios. Yet her heart couldn’t stop racing on the idea of threading into enemy territory with limited resources. Timoria was a demon, but how useful could her knowledge be if they were going to be outnumbered? Learning the mechanics on how the place functioned, its origins, and going there was surreal for the fire knight. 

“Add, the machine.” Flame breathed. Turning her head over to the rest of their party, she cried. “Grab someone’s hand and don’t let go!”

Quick to act, Phantom searched for Dominator’s hand with his silver shooters hanging off his belt and his arm extended. Ultimate followed suit and let Timoria and Abysser hold hands with the rest of the El Search Party. Blade was with Anemos and Richter, hands hooked together to form into a chain behind them. At the end of the long line was Oz, standing her ground as the gravel around them hovered from the earth shaking. Black gloved hands grabbed Flame’s with no hesitance, a familiar grip leaving little surprise in seeing Devi next to her. 

Flashing light burned her retinas as Flame struggled to keep them open in search for red hair. Concern was as foreign of a concept as raisin cookies were to Timoria, but it was a strong emotion driving the ‘what ifs’ running through her head. Flame reached for Rune’s hand in the blind. Gravity pressed against them as static encaved the group and lifted them off their feet. Fear latched onto Flame’s subconscious with the knight struggling to not to fall over with nothing to grab onto. Her fingers slipped from Devi’s grasp and gasped.  

Everything stopped. Her weight brought her back to earth with the Flame Lord crash landing with her face first. Bleh! Demon dirt!

Her sides hurt when Flame rolled over with her elbows on the floor. She dug her hands into dry crumbled soil, a dusty brown tinted with red. She took deep breaths. The rustic foreign landscape reminded her of Lanox, but the humidity was that of Feita. Mist hovered over the blue and purple-hued grass, or was it because it was nighttime with two (no, three!) moons overhead. Demon Realm looked different than what she imagined.

Strong and steady, claymore maintained its balance as Flame drew out her weapon, a black blade bearing markings in gold writing. Flame held her guard up with her legs spread apart with claymore in one hand and fire building up in her other. Gold sparks flared up and burst into flames from her blade at the feeling to someone tapping her on the shoulder.

They were faster and twirled to disarm her, pulling claymore away and grabbing her arms, pinning the fire user and bearing tiny fangs into a wide grin.   

“Looks like Add’s plan worked.” Devi balanced claymore with her fingertips before tossing it back to its owner. “Did I surprise you?”

“I could have burned you!” Flame protested. 

Devi giggled, “Hopefully that’ll be the last time we do that.”               

It took Flame a moment to force her temperature down to stop the heat from traveling up to her face and leaving her tongue-tied on being snuck on by Devi. Black bangs obscured one side of Devi’s face with the back of her hair was tied into a tight bun by a multitude of hairpins. The longer ends of her dress fanned out to touch the ground.    

“Where are you going?”

“Anywhere but here,” Flame tucked claymore back to its strap. She strained her eyes for Oz’s iconic pointed hat or Richter’s radiant aura shining like a lighthouse between the misty terrain. Timoria and Abysser could avoid arousing trouble because they were demons, but what about the others? She held faith in her friends to stay hidden until they were reunited, but where was Rune? He wasn’t one to keep a low profile for long.

“You’re eager to fight,” Devi said with glee. She took Flame’s hand, “Your hands are getting hot.”   

“I’m not,” Flame felt sick. She needed to find Dominator and give the scientist a talk for alternative traveling methods that didn’t make her want to throw back whatever Furious Blade made for lunch. “Have you seen anyone else from our group?” 

“No.” Concern graced her pale features, “What’s putting you on the edge?”

“Nothing,” Flame clenched her fists. “Let’s find everyone and go.”

“Do you really think this will be resolved that quickly?” Devi asked with no humor in a dark chuckle. “Our poor luck won’t let that happen.”

Blue light flashed across the sky like fireworks and rained overhead. Fire whistled and burst into violent flames for all to see, trees trembled and tectonic plates shifted to loosen the soil from beneath. She struggled to keep her footing as she charged to the chaos, covering her face and coughing. The smoke and fire made it hard to breathe. Each step grew heavy as she dragged her foot over to where she heard voices. Flame didn’t check to see if Devi was behind her. 

Between a grove of trees were monsters with extra limbs and moved around mechanically, but they were too fluid and organic like to be a machine. Blue web-like veins etched through their bodies and illuminated the destruction they left behind. How did the Elrianode monsters follow them into Demon Realm?

Orange light blazed from behind, Devi throwing herself through the air and her spear pierced into a Skin Splitter. Blood blotted out from the monster through its armored skin with an inhuman screech. Mutated monsters crawled around them and hissed in response to the hot fumes created from Flame’s palms, all of them disintegrating into ashes from the contact of her fire. Runes showered over the monsters to set ablaze. 

“Sis!”

Rune’s voice rang over the chaos. Scars decorated his exposed skin with the redhead beaming.

“Elsword!” Flame cried.

Behind him was a creature that towered over most humans and had a multitude of long appendages as limbs to support its weight. Glossed armor-plated around its “shoulders” if that was what one would call them and had half a dozen eyes moving and blinking all at once. Metallic appendages shot out and curled around Rune’s arms and legs, pinning him to the ground and limiting his movement. His pupils were dilated with the beast reflecting off the lights of his eyes.

Flame raced to find a way to climb onto the monster and pull her brother out, but someone else beat her to it.

A harsh breeze picked up, two shadows in the form of Timoria and Abysser appeared to slam their bodies against the Spatio Reaper and causing it to tumble, putting out the fire hazard created by the Sieghart siblings. Silver bullets hit the creature in the chest just below from where Rune was positioned. A young man in plated armor pursued after the creature with pistols at his arsenal. Anemos and Phantom Phantom!          

“Ignis...” Fire enclaved around the red knight. “Crusher!”  

Fireballs hit the Spatio Reaper’s exterior, melting away a thin layer of its armor and dripping out an unnatural blue liquid from its pores. Attacking it did little to slow down its sluggish but persistent movements that caused the ground to shudder while Rune squirmed in its grasp.

“No!” Flame choked on blood and saliva. Her legs were heavy lifting them and forcing herself to stay upright. Smoke and fire hindered her vision. Where was it taking Rune? “Must keep going…”

Her eyelids grew heavy and everything faded to black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Bugs.” (1) - Raven was sent back in time in his webtoon “Company” Double Crow when he touched Add’s invention designed to kill mosquitoes by sending them back in time. Yes, Add invented such a thing. 
> 
>  
> 
> Please leave kudos and share your lovely thoughts! I've been so excited to write this fic and make it work to write 24+ characters interacting with each other. I had fun writing from everyone's different perspectives and hope to upload the next chapter by next month or so. Thank you @dezimaton for beta reading!


	2. The Search

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Canon Path_ : Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen 
> 
> _Alternate Path_ : Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

  _Knight Emperor_

 

Starlight lit up the darkened sky. Their brilliance was as blinding as the El, a meteor shower pouring overhead. 

Knight raced to where he thought the source of light was coming from. They burst like fireworks and rocked the earth when they came falling through the atmosphere. It was difficult to find the right word to describe the moment in which his mind zoned out and everything zoomed into focus. All his senses intensified, not unlike the surreal sensation he had in Elrianode. There was a strong energy coming from those falling stars. Could they be El shard fragments?  

Heavy boots crushed the worn down road. Knight was sure he would lose his footing and sink into the muddy floor flooded from last night’s rain shower - or was that last morning? He watched the moons rotate through their cycles before he made the decision to leave camp. Periods of sunlight were rare and lasted for a few hours at most according to the elder of the dark elves.  

“Elsword, slow down!”

He waited for Bluhen to catch up. A friend for as long as he could remember, Knight couldn’t say no when the priest insisted on coming with him to investigate the sudden recurring earthquakes arriving in waves. Sometimes the aftershocks came one after another. Bluhen caught the knight leaving camp after restless hours tossing and turning in his sleep.

“It’s not safe to put yourself in danger’s path again,” Bluhen rolled his shoulders up to prevent his fur coat from slipping past off. Rather than running, he hovered midair with his feet sliding over the ground. He placed his hand over Knight’s shoulder for support with worry reflecting in his face.

“You didn’t have to come with me,” Knight said despite wanting his friend to stay. Was it naive or stupid or him to wish that? His intuition told him something was off, but everyone was still recovering from the fight with Nephilim Lord and there wasn’t enough evidence to bring the rest of the El Search Party with him to validate a haunch. He didn’t want to worry everyone again.  

“I said I would come,” he said. “Besides, it’s not safe venturing in the Demon Realm by yourself.”

His last words forced Knight to bite back his tongue. It didn’t take effort for him to understand it was because he made his friends feel guilty again. After he woke up in Elrianode, his teammates all had worn down dispositions and treated him like a child, insisting that Knight stayed closer to the middle of the group rather than the front. _Extra precautions_ , Rage Hearts explained in a short crisp manner with a smile as if that could alleviate the insult to injury. 

“And you’re okay following me?” Knight asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Bluhen slowed his pace. He had his hand over his temples with a thoughtful expression. His gaze fixed into Knight’s, an awkward silence where the priest stared at him longer than necessary. Knight could somewhat feel the El’s influence radiating from Bluhen, although being in demon territory had dimmed it until all he could feel was a flicker of what it once was.        

“Demonic energy doesn’t bother you?” Knight placed care in his words.

Not that Bluhen ever shown anger to him, but Knight knew it wasn’t a light topic for either of them. It was no secret that Bluhen had distaste for demons and being in their territory left him in a constant state of wariness past the cheery facade. After Bluhen almost fainted in Elrianode because of the Dark El’s influence, Knight was hesitant to push his friend and relied on other team members for demon related tasks. If it wasn’t for Ishtar, what would have become of the priest? 

Bluhen paused before shaking his head, “No. I’m still adjusting, but I can carry my weight.”

It smelled of ash and sulfuric gas. Much of the fire was diminished by the downpour and reduced to ashes, but smoke and flames singed the tree branches. He could still feel the warmth from the remnants of a fire. Orange lines glowed through the cracked tree bark and whispered harsh sounds to the wind.

Uneven lines gashed over tree trunks, deep cuts left behind by a sword or a spear. Silver light flickered drew Knight’s attention. Silver bullets scattered and seeped in demon blood, their metallic surfaces shining under jet black ink. This wasn’t a meteor shower. It was the aftermath of a battle.

Bluhen saw the bullets and frowned, “Do you recognize them?”

“No.”

Crafted with elegance of an experienced blacksmith, the silver bullets held familiarity and reminded Knight of the white pristine palaces in Hamel. He didn’t know many that relied on pistols or handguns for fighting. Comet Crusader’s destroyer was the closest thing he had to compare, but the difference in size was significant and made it a stretch to say they were similar.         

“Can humans coexist with demons?” Knight’s words held weight and consideration. How could humans be here before they were? It took little imagination to imagine how the fight ended. Kicked up dirt and debris left a beaten path of a body dragged across the ground, likely in a struggle.  

“What makes you ask such a question?” Bluhen asked with amusement, “I don’t think so. If it occurs, I doubt it lasts long-”

Bluhen stumbled over his words and placed his hands over his mouth, all the more puzzling with the sheepish smile after and coughing. His former confidence was replaced by a new emotion of furrowed brows followed by a curt answer in an attempt to repair his embarrassment.   

“Well, it’s. It’s unlikely, but it’s a possibility, I suppose.” Bluhen muttered. “It isn’t something we can rule out yet...”

Knight covered his laugh with a cough. He went on his knees to gather the silver bullets and pocketed for later. Crusader would be interested utilizing them for battle use. Maybe they could determine the story behind the battlefield.

Pain panged at the nape of his neck for Knight to snap his head forward. That strong energy source. Something with strong El Resonance was here. Adrenaline rushed through his blood veins and Knight turned to shout.  

“Did you feel that?”

Bluhen was already one step ahead and pulled out his pendulum. Green light enclaved the priest as he and Knight charged into the forest. Deep within the mass of trees, dark bulky shapes were revealed in the light as deformed monsters they haven’t seen since Elrianode. Did Henir’s followers find their way into the Demon Realm before they did?

Soil eroded under Knight’s feet. He slid under a Mutated Ent’s swinging arms and pulled his sword out to block its attacks. Metal clashed against its bark exterior, leaving angry gashes across its belly and the corrupted beast howling. Black tar pooled at his feet.

One of the bigger monsters walked with a limp and had burnt marks over its blue armor, rusty edges on the metallic part of its body. Gashes and scars decorated the rest of its exoskeleton. Wait, that’s the Spatio Reaper. Those injuries, they’re the same as the damage from the forest! It was walking slower than usual with something in its grasp. One of its appendages was wrapped around…            

“A civilian!” Knight hollered in hopes that Bluhen could hear him, “I’m going after them! Get backup if I don’t come back!”

Knight threw himself onto the Spatio Reaper and dug his nails into the monster’s cracks as it tried to shake him off with no success. He hauled himself and climbed over its arms and legs. Placing his hand over the other, he breathed on a realization. A human in Demon Realm… was that possible? Knight was frantic on moving an unconscious person and scrambled to get them to safety first.

He struggled to pull them out. Gripping his right hand wrist, Knight forced sparks to emit from his palms. Heat buildup at his fingertips and flared out into miniscule fireballs. They were weak flames, but enough for the Spatio Reaper to jolt from its feet and loosen its grip.

Knight used both arms to pull the civilian out, bringing their right arm behind his neck. Knees bent to lift their legs for their upper body to lean over his shoulder for support. Now he had to get them back to the ground. He turned his head to face the corrupted monster glaring at them. How a creature with no facial expression could come off as angry was a mystery and something he didn’t want to stick around to find out. Glowing blue didn’t look good.  

Oh, no. 

He and the unconscious person slid off the creature’s back for Knight to land on his butt. The other landed on his back with arms stretched out and loud snores coming out?! Knight tugged their arms and threw them over his shoulders with their legs over his waist. They tucked their head into his shoulder with a sleepy smile. How could anyone sleep through a battle?

Knight groaned and covered his face with his free hand.

A screeching noise ached his eardrums. Peeking behind his hands, a dark shadow approached them. Long blue appendages stretched out in reach of them with tiny claws extended. Knight emptied his bag and grabbed a water orb, blue crystals forming at his fingertips as he tossed it to his opponent. Mist formed and ice crystals flowered the ground, frosting blackened trees and hopefully the Spatio Reaper.  

His heartbeat was thumping in his ears, the wind urging Knight to keep moving. Blood and sweat clung to his clothes. He was out of breath, his legs felt like jelly, and his arms were getting tired from carrying the extra weight.

Beneath a tree with lowered branches was a dense overgrowth of bushes and shrubs. They were green and purple, but Knight recognized them for growing edible berries that had no effect on humans besides having a purple tongue. Turning his head to confirm that no one was following them, he lowered the civilian and laid down to gasp for air. Each painful breath had his lungs protesting in pain. He had ignored his body again and Bluhen was going to chide him later about it. 

Knight chuckled. They were pursued by corrupted monsters and his worst fear was the wrath of his friends. It was hardly a laughable matter, but he found comfort in remembering that his friends cared about him. 

At least the civilian was safe. Now that they were out of danger’s reach, Knight had a better look at them. Muscles carved into their calves suggesting an active life with burn marks and scars caked over tanned skin. Their clothes were more appropriate for the beach than for the Demon Realm. Hair the color of fire tangled past their shoulders and tied into a low ponytail. 

Knight stopped breathing. It was like looking into a mirror. Their faces were identical. 

* * *

_Abysser_

 

Static broke out, quiet buzzes filling his ears and giving Abysser a headache. No signal. A deafening sound broke out from the mouthpiece when he tapped a communication device clipped to his jacket collar. Communication became difficult over time as the El Search Party expanded in number overtime until Dominator, although he was known as Mastermind at the time, produced a set of communicators for them. He didn’t understand the in-depth mechanics of it, but he knew it had a limit in distance. How far could their friends be for communication to be broken?

Fighting Spatio Reaper caught the attention of demons and left little else for them to do but run. Until they caught connection with the rest of the party again, they took refuge between dense trees and bushes. Logs reduced to ashes and worn down paths were clear signs it was an abandoned camp site. With their numbers dwindled, it was a risk to rest in a place that may belong to demons.

Herbs and ointment filled the air with fresh minty aromas. Injuries were minimal and required cleaning cuts and bandaging burning scars and cuts. Flame Lord was conscious and laid on her back, curled up against a fire lit up by Phantom and soaking in its tender warmth. Leaves were used as a makeshift bed for the redhead, fire flickering and its light forming shadows over her exposed skin.

“Corrupted monsters must have followed us into Demon Realm,” Phantom was hard pressed to sugar coat himself. It was what it was. The constant battle against demons had taken a toll on the young man, where his cheery disposition was replaced with wariness. A solemn smile was all he had to offer. 

“It was an ambush,” Devi curved her hands into tight fists and formed creases on her dress. “They attacked when we let our guards down.”

It wasn’t an accusation, but a statement. They placed too much faith in the belief that entering Demon Realm would be their biggest obstruction. It never occurred to Abysser that other beings may follow them and take advantage of their resources.

Despite the corrupted monsters running rampant, it was apparent they were in a new dimension untouched by sunlight. Fluorescent plants dominated the fauna, neon particles outlining shapes unheard of in Elrios that would have fascinated Abysser if it wasn’t for their dire situation. Their intention was to visit Demon Realm to investigate the territory, but they were already ambushed within minutes of arrival. 

“Have you noticed something is off?” Timoria asked. It was something that has been bothering her since they left battle. She looked at Phantom and Devi before she uttered, “It feels like my power is a fraction of what it once was.”

Devi gave her a curt nod, “You feel it too? Eun’s been complaining.”

Abysser once wondered if weakness in the El’s influence would affect Eun’s presence, but that didn’t seem to be the case. At least they could rely on Eun and Devi for fire power if opportunities required them to, for better or worse. 

“The El Masters said Demon Realm lacks the resources we have,” Phantom thought out loud. “Maybe the El’s influence is weaker the further we are away from Elrios.”  

“Add said these were powered by the El,” Abysser remembered. “So our friends may be closer than we thought.”

“That’s optimistic of you to think so. How cute,” Devi laughed. A faint smile appeared on her otherwise flawless features, “Things will be harder without our dear leader.”

“Where’s Elsword?”

Flame sat up. The fire user had her legs tucked in and her hair swept to the side. Her hands twitched in anticipation to pull out the Claymore mounted to her back to fight nonexistent corrupted monsters.

“Don’t stand!” Timoria tugged the knight’s arm down. Her small figure did little to help, waving her arms and flapping her bat-like wings in a flimsy effort to stop the red knight from moving. “You’ll open your wounds.”

“But what about Elsword?” Flame did mental headcount: Abysser, Timoria, Phantom, and Devi. “Is he safe?”

“He’s gone. The monster left with him,” Abysser said. “You need to heal first.”

Physical contact snapped Flame out of a trance, kneeling on one knee for support and hissing from the pain. Clean bandages wrapped around her forearm and around her forehead, sweat accumulating inside her palms. Red sparks crackled from her fingertips and her hair faded back to a dull shade of red.    

“Let us find him.” Devi smirked, “We’ll take care of the culprit.”

“It’s my fault that thing got away,” Flame gritted her teeth. “If I had been faster-”

“You would be dead and snapped your spine,” Devi said with curtness. “Five of us fought and it still walked. Do you really think you can take it on by yourself?”

“If that will save my brother, so be it.” Flame was stubborn, “I’m his older sister.”

Devi snapped, “Does he need a dead sister?” 

The piercing question silenced Flame, trembling hands and the redhead biting the side of her cheeks from retaliating. She blinked, but there were tears, dampening one side of her face. It was painful to see the red knight losing confidence after the El Search Party narrowly rescued Elsword and brought him back to Elrianode.

Devi placed her hands Flame’s, fingers intertwined and clasped together. In closing the distance between them, she pulled the fire user up. They stood inches apart with Devi placing one hand over the other’s shoulder and leaning towards Flame.     

“Elsword can take care of himself. Have some faith in him, he’ll be safe,” Devi reassured her. Her voice was light and chirpy, but her eyes narrowed and glistened at the next words. “Because if he isn’t, I’ll make sure the kidnapper knows that.”

Flame laughed weakly, “I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“Let’s think of a plan first.” Abysser interrupted the two, “Our chance of survival will be better if there’s more of us.”

Devi and Flame glanced at each other and let go, hands and arms falling to the side. Flame wiped her sore face and fixed her eyes on the ground with newfound interest, using her Claymore encased in its sword sash as a base to support her weight. Lips fell back into a small frown as Devi lowered her head, deep in thought and seriousness traced over her features. 

“You can’t reach them?” Flame played with the microphone’s mouthpiece.

“No,” Phantom shook his head. “But they can’t be far. I heard voices on the other side of the river. That might be them.”

“Let’s find the others,” Flame said. “We can’t afford to lose another member.” 

“Is finding everyone so important that we need to do it now?” Timoria asked, “It’s getting late and demons are more active at night.”

Devi glared at Flame. “You’re not moving anywhere after I bandaged you.”

Abysser sighed. Not that he had didn’t trust his teammates, but they were above all still children, especially Devi with her hard headedness. Emotions ruled over her heart and too often lead to unnecessary conflicts.

He understood Flame’s frustration in wanting to regroup after Rune was taken by the monsters, but was it wise to reunite into a bigger group and attract more attention? They defeated the corrupted beings, but not all of them. He had a feeling they would meet those monsters again if they were still lurking in the shadows. It was a close call to survive and they almost burned down the forest if not for the downpour that came after.

Where was Blade to tell them off on starting foolish fights? No wonder the old man was always tired.

“Hey, we don’t need any more broken bones.” Abysser scratched the back of his neck with exasperation. “We can always decide tomorrow on what to do next. Let’s sleep over this before making rash decisions.”   

Night was quickly approaching, or at least that’s what Timoria claimed anyway. As it was his first time in the Demon Realm like all of his teammates, he could only rely on what the smaller demon knew for information on enemy territory.

Threading into enemy territory was a commonality. Today would be the first time Abysser had to care for those besides himself. His former occupation gave him the luxury to fend for himself, although having teammates helped ease his mind from the implications of being in foreign realm.

“Fine,” Flame crossed her arms and fought to keep her lips pursed.

Silver shooter in hand, Phantom played with the pistol, relaxing his fingers before toying over the trigger again. Resting his hand over Flame’s shoulder, the blonde gave her an encouraging smile.

“I’ll keep watch for the first two hours,” Phantom volunteered. “You don’t need to do that tonight. Go ahead and sleep.”

Flame blinked at the offer, but accepted with a grateful smile.

Timoria grinned, placing her hand over her hips, “Wake me up so I can take over when you’re done. I don’t think any monsters will go after someone as strong as me, but you never know~”

Abysser snorted at Timoria’s cheeky comment, but chuckled. Energetic as always. Things certainly didn’t stay boring after he met Timoria and the others. For them to be excited over something as simple as keeping night patrol was endearing, if not childish. Years of traveling didn’t dull their enthusiasm. It was good for his teammates to make decisions for themselves rather than wait for others. 

“I’ll go last,” Devi looked at Abysser. “Is that a problem?”

“Not at all,” Abysser replied.         

They have known each other for at least two to three years, but her disdainful gaze hasn’t dulled. How Devi viewed demons was poorly disguised, not that she made an effort to hide it. Meeting a demon that maintained his reason was enough to make her snarl on command. And yet, she never raised her blade on him and willingly followed the group into Demon Realm. Abysser couldn’t pretend to act like he understood her, but her loyalty over the few that did win her heart gave him rare insight into the spear user’s mind.

Going before Devi means having Timoria will have to wake him up once her shift was done, Abysser mused. He would have roughly four to five hours of sleep before Timoria invaded his consciousness with some stupid ~~meme~~ joke Rune told her. Maybe he could make coffee and breakfast for everyone while Devi kept watch.

“Sleep well,” Abysser said, but he knew Devi wasn’t listening. Her eyes were only on a redhead, who was already asleep.   

* * *

_Bluhen_

 

Knight didn’t come back.

The presence of his El slipped away from Bluhen’s subconscious like flickering flames. How could he allow this to happen? Monster blood dripped over his gloves, staining them with dark blue metallic grime. It wasn’t until every last corrupted monster he could find was taken down did he notice Knight’s disappearance. Waves of El washed over him, sending the priest over false trails to where he thought his friend was. He should have known better than to believe that his senses wouldn’t be affected by the Dark El.

Night fell when he returned to a scattered campsite. Tents were still perched up, but there was a discernible sense of urgency among the chaos. Firewood piled over a pit with smoke and flames fanning over, ashes dusted over twigs and fallen logs feeding off of it. With a party as big as theirs, it was getting difficult for Bluhen to see who was present.  

“He’s not with you,” a voice came from behind.  

For the first time, Bluhen experienced a dry mouth in seeing the familiar red colored hair. It wasn’t Knight’s hair, but Empire Sword’s. Long hair tied into a flowing ponytail with braids, she was Knight’s sister. Empire was the youngest person to become a captain and led the Velder army. Apparently impressive according to humans, but it meant little to the priest. Ms. Wizard was a prodigy in magic and Mr. Ancient could wield nasod technology with ease. Was it unusual to say a woman could lead an army at a young age as well? 

Bluhen made eye contact with the red knight with reluctance before lowering his head with shame. There was no way around it. He couldn’t lie, especially to someone Knight held to in high regards. Knight would never forgive him. The priest shook his head, his eyes wandered anywhere but where Empire was. 

“What happened?” Empire asked. “Aisha and Chung were gone all day and Rena was thinking of asking the dark elves tomorrow about Elsword. Was he with you?” 

Mr. Guardian was supposed to be resting! Bluhen pressed a finger over his lips. Did everyone spend all day looking for Knight? He should have known that their group would go into a frenzy should their leader have gone missing. Envy bloomed in the depths of his heart, gnawing at his insides. Knight was fortunate to be cared for by so many people. Crude thoughts sat on the edge of Bluhen’s tongue, who fought the urge to chide at their trite efforts when they should be conserving their energy. It was his fault Knight went missing, not them…    

 _What happened_ , Bluhen mouthed in mimicry. Ambush. In the forest. They were outnumbered and outpowered. Knight urged him to head the opposite direction to cut down on their opponents’ forces against them. It worked, but where was Knight? Bluhen laughed without humor.

“Corrupted monsters,” was all Bluhen could muster, afraid to talk more in betraying his voice. “He’s gone.”   

“Here?” Empire was alarmed, “But we left them behind in Elrianode.”

“Well someone or something must have let them in,” Bluhen was relieved to find his words again.

“You, Red.” A man with a fringe over one his eyes appeared to the sound of their voices. Doom Bringer glanced over to Bluhen.

“Is there something you need?” Empire ignored the nickname gifted by the brawler. For someone who had received news of her brother gone missing, she remained composed with her lips sealed into a straight line and an even voice. Many in her position would have burst into tears, but Empire left little vulnerabilities in her exterior.

“Nasod Arm wanted to show you something.” Bringer said. There was no jeering from the tracer, all business in his tone. What did Mr. Half-Nasod see in making Mr. Ancient the messenger boy?

“Raven found something?” The red knight’s attention turned to Bringer. “What is it?”

“You don’t have it with you?” Bluhen asked.

For once, Bringer was uncertain on his choice of words, scrutinizing them with an unreadable expression. Was that pity he sensed from the brawler? He mumbled, “Nasod Arm wanted you to see it first before anyone else.”

It was as if Bluhen wasn’t there, although it was far from the first thing that made him dislike the brawler. Two sharp tongued individuals holding a conversation could only erupt into a full spar. The strange clothes and the way Bringer talked made him an easy target for Bluhen to pick on. With Knight gone, there was little else to obscure them from having more disagreements.   

Looking at Bluhen, the tracer shrugged. “Guess you can come too since Elbrat liked you.”

Bluhen didn’t like the use of the past tense. The short gasp from Empire told him the same, the red haired woman gritting her teeth before forcing a smile. Did she always do that? Ms. Knight Captain may not have it all together as he initially thought. 

A man with impressive armor was waiting for them inside a pitched up tent. Black armor outlined with orange highlights plated around his arms, shoulders, and over his back with chest exposed. Bluhen made out something black and metallic case gleaming from under Rage’s arm.

A black scabbard. Clutching it in hand, Rage handed it to the red knight, “I found it lying in the forest. I’m sorry.”

She grasped the case with clenched teeth, breathing light shallow breaths. Silent tears streaked down her cheeks as Empire mourned. Her body visibly shook, dropping her defense and cradling the greatsword with care.

Bringer and Bluhen exchanged glances at one another before the brawler approached the red-haired woman. Arm extended out, Bringer placed his hand over her head - what was he doing? It took Bluhen a split second to realize that he was patting her back, an awkward gesture, but not one with bad intent. Bringer wore a scowl not directed at her. 

Seeing Empire cry struck something deep within Bluhen, who held no reaction even as he witnessed the once prideful knight fall into despair. Even Mr. Ancient had enough sense to comfort a crying woman when the priest struggled to speak more than two sentences at a time. He was supposed to have more self-awareness of his emotions, wasn’t he? 

“You look pale,” Rage’s voice brought Bluhen back to the present. “Are you okay?”

Bluhen shrugged it off with a laugh, “It’s nothing. You should be more worried for Ms. Knight Captain.”

The older male gave him with a serious expression (Did he ever smile?), “I can be worried for all of you.”

He couldn’t fathom that kind of response, but Bluhen nodded as if he understood. Maybe once he gets some rest, he’ll have more time to process and sort out his emotions. His head spun as one thing after another was said to him.

“Excuse me, am I interrupting something?” Daybreaker entered the tent with urgency.

Perched over her glove was an entity that vaguely resembled a bird. White wings branched out with lime green ends matching its tail feathers and a single gem carved into its pale chest. Big enough to put up a fight with the eagles inhabiting Lanox, it flapped its wings a few times before settling on top of Daybreaker’s shoulder with content, cooing as the elf stroked its feathers. Despite having no eyes, Bluhen felt its gaze if it could have one because its head turned to him with scrutiny in its gestures.

“I just talked to Aisha,” Between the elf’s index finger was a green notepad with simplistic flowers bordering the edges. It was the first time Bluhen had seen it, but he caught a glimpse of neat handwriting in emerald ink, letters curled and intertwined at the ends to one another. 

“Aisha’s here?” Empire wiped her tears away, fixed her posture, and was quick to get back on her feet. No matter how long he had known them, Knight’s friends never failed to impress Bluhen. It was hard to believe she was crying just moments ago.  

Daybreaker shook her head, tapping her finger over a communicator identical to the set the rest of the party had, a black device with deep purple lines marked on the sides. After losing Apsara in Hamel ten times too many, Bringer pulled an all-nighter to build a set so they could keep tabs on each other for long distances.   

“She said Chung was with her,” Daybreaker said. “They’ve at the edge of the forest where the dark elves are.”

“What are they doing there?” Bringer asked. “Unless they’re suggesting the brat pissed them off-”

“I would watch your mouth when talking about someone who was recently declared deceased, Mr. Ancient.” Bluhen set his tone to what he thought was a friendly one, but the brawler’s reaction told him an opposing story. Arms slumped over the side, a sheepish expression over pale features and artificial eyes that made him unearthly to look at. The priest shared no guilt in making Bringer uncomfortable for the unruly comment.

“Guys,” Empire glared at the bickering men. “Ain, I know you’re upset, but now is not the time. Add, please refrain yourself from talking about my brother like that.”

“I was going to say it’s unlikely because the idiot spent too much time making friends with the dark elves,” Bringer grumbled.

That didn’t change his view of Bringer for the better, but the answer wasn’t one Bluhen expected. With the amount of complaining and snide commentaries, he thought the tracer loathed Knight for petty reasons he still didn’t understand. “Nasod King,” was all Bringer would offer for an explanation when asked. Just when he thought he had stayed long enough with the El Search Party, humans continued to surpass his expectations for them. How peculiar.        

Sensing the tension between the party, Rage coughed. “There’s valuable information she can’t disclose,” he read off the notepad from his angle. “They want us to meet up with them first thing tomorrow morning.”

“That’s right,” Daybreaker breathed in relief for an excuse to change the topic. “It sounds like Aisha and Chung found something big because they want all of us to be present.”

“What do you think, Add?” Empire asked, “does it look like a trap?”

“Now you ask me for my opinion?” The brawler cackled, “Bring us all together and we’ll be a neatly wrapped gift for someone to ambush us. But you’re going to ignore me, aren’t you?”

“It’s true that our big number has made us easy targets,” Empire rubbed her forehead, “However, I think our chances of survival are higher if we stay as a group if we see those corrupted beasts from Elrianode.”

“I’ll tell everyone else in camp to pack for tomorrow,” Rage offered. “Is there anything else we should know?”

Daybringer rescanned her notes and paused, scrunching up her brows in confusion. Placing her finger over the last line, she was hesitant.

“They said to bring extra potions and to have Ain close by.”

“Did they forget to bring medicine with them?” Empire pondered out loud. “That’s unlike them. What’s going on?”

Bluhen couldn’t begin to guess what the answer could be.

* * *

_Anemos_

 

Hair tied back into a ponytail, wind picked up beneath Anemos’ feet. Leaves scattered into the gusting winds around her. The sky painted a vibrant contrast of blues and reds as she observed Furious Blade cleaning his blade for the umpteenth time that evening. Fire crackled in a pitch for Anemos to curl up closer for warmth, closing her hands tight before opening them to feel the night air.

Not unlike some parts of Elrios, the Demon Realm held many species of flora and fauna she had never heard or seen before her journey with her teammates. Uneasiness settled after dinner when Anemos finally had the time to assess their situation.

They have spent almost a full day in a new world where night and day held no distinction unless they checked for time from Dominator, who was more than happy to tell them down to the last second. Half of their friends have gone missing despite having spent much of the day searching for them. Anemos prayed that they didn’t suffer a similar fate as Rune, who was snatched away by the monsters from Elrianode that showed up out of nowhere. By the time she and the others arrived at the scene, their friends were nowhere to be found. Were Henir cultists waiting for them?

“I take it that your arm is healing well?” A perky voice asked. Arms crossed, Oz elaborated when Anemos raised a brow. “Those demon thorns were pretty nasty.”

“Works perfect like a charm,” Anemos beamed. “You really are something for coming up with something on the spot.”

Oz smirked, “What can I say? I’m a natural, but I have to say your knowledge on those herbs were spot on.”

None of the elixirs could heal the burn. Anemos was an alchemist, but she had more faith the dark mage, who specialized in antidotes and curse remedies. Finding ingredients that wouldn’t harm elves and humans wasn’t difficult when combining Anemos’ knowledge on plants with Dominator’s technology. The fauna here weren’t too alien to the ones she knew as a child when she lived with elves. Even if half of the plants were fluorescent, the similarities were enough for Anemos to question if Demon Realm was a mirror world to what Elrios was. It fit the theory they learned in Elrianode.      

Beside her was Dominator, who had Dynamo rearranged into a seat for the scientist to sit on. Anemos couldn’t imagine how anyone could be comfortable sitting on blocks of cubes for support, but Dominator didn’t seem to notice or care. Mumbling to himself, he leaned over, scrutinizing his codes over an impressive array of holographic screens. Light from the screens lit up his face, an eerie glow in the dark.        

“Is that the communicator?” Anemos saw the device sitting in the scientist’s hand. At a glance, it was unimpressive and could fit inside one’s palm, white with lilac highlights. It had a magnetic clip to pin on their clothes and could communicate long distance for days at a time.  

“And now a piece of trash,” Dominator snorted. “The Dark El is making it hard for it to connect to the others.”

“So you’re throwing it away?” Oz asked.

“I never said that,” the scientist was offended by the suggestion. “It just needs recoding and adjustments.” 

Anemos laughed, “Thank you. That’s more than enough.”

Even if Anemos was old enough to remember the Nasod War, her knowledge in Nasods and human technology was limited. She more often than not relied on Dominator and Code: Ultimate to explain the technicalities. Elves had their own branch of science and technology, but the progress humans made was admirable, even if the outcomes weren’t always benign.

The coy expression off Dominator’s face evaporated into nervousness when he heard the sound of steel boots quickly approaching. He stood up and laugh. “Ah, Eve. Did you finally decide to join us? How-”

“I have a question,” Ultimate cut him off. “Did you set the correct coordinates?” Her wings were hidden from lack of use, but her helmet remained in place. Moby and Remy floated beside the Nasod queen.  

“Of course I did!” Dominator protested, “Are you saying I miscalculated?”

“I’m asking if you are aware that we are weeks ahead than yesterday,” she said with more iciness than should be possible for a Nasod. Pointing at Oz, the Nasod queen narrowed her eyes. “Moby and Remy are detecting your El resonance in two places.”

“Weeks ahead?” That caught Blade’s attention.

“What do you mean there’s someone with my El resonance?” Oz demanded to know and turned to Dominator, “Explain.”

“Hey, this is all new to me too!” Dominator sweated and chose to address Ultimate’s questions first, “Maybe there was a time jump, but as long as it’s the right dimension…”

“Demon Realm is indeed a dimension of its own, but Ms. Queen is correct. There is someone else with El resonance like Ms. Wizard. I sense someone with Mr. Guardian’s El as well, but I don’t think it’s him.” Richter contributed his opinion on the matter.

“Aren’t you the chatty one today,” Dominator mused.

Richter ignored the scientist.

 _Chung and Aisha?_ Anemos shook her head. Phantom’s status was unknown with their means of communication being down, but Oz has been with them the whole time since they have crash landed into Demon Realm. It reminded her of the shadows plaguing the Hall of El. Could this be the enemy luring them out? This was strange.

“But this is Demon Realm, is it not?” Blade asked, “Does it matter if it’s not the exact one we had in mind?”

Dominator checked his screens for a detail he may have missed with furrowed brows. Panels ran a multitude of programs all at once, an overwhelming maze of colors blinking numbers and letters too rapidly for one to process.

“The Queen and priest are right about the El resonance,” Dominator said. “Time differences aside, there’s a possibility that the Demon Realm is occupied by us from another dimension. We might run into them.”

“You gotta be kidding me,” Oz grumbled. Looking at her teammates for a reaction, the dark mage backed away when no one rejected Dominator’s explanation. “Seriously? Really?” She groaned, “Nothing is ever simple when Elsword is involved!”

“Add brought us here,” Ultimate corrected her.

“Who joined us because of Elsword!” The purple haired woman threw her arms in the air, “I swear, when I find that idiot, I’m gonna... Who thought it was a good idea to come here?”

“It’s already done,” Blade shrugged. “It can’t be helped.”   

Another version of themselves. Anemos wasn’t sure what to think about that. They have encountered Henir’s dimension because of Glave, but knowing that there were others like themselves was a harder concept to wrap one’s mind around. What should happen if they were to meet themselves?

“Hello?” Dominator’s voice was soft, “Ah, lab rat. Still alive I see. Huh? No, everyone’s here.”

“Is that Chung?” Oz twisted her body in seeing the scientist talking into the communicator. “You got it to work?” She fumed when her question was left unanswered.

“The brat isn’t with you? I see… You’re close to the riverbed, okay.” Dominator seemed aware of the sudden attention he had earned from his teammates, grinning when he caught them looking at him for information. “Tomorrow morning? Got it. Demons active at night… that will be valuable information to know for the future.”

When Dominator hung up the call, the campsite broke into chaos.

“You sure enjoy hearing yourself talk,” Oz had her arms behind her head.

“You’re one to talk, witch!” Dominator quipped back and turned red at her comment. 

“Everyone must be well rested,” Blade raised his voice. “Go straight to bed after this!”

“I’ll have Remy and Moby scan for the safest route tomorrow,” Ultimate said.

Anemos sighed, “At least we can sleep tonight knowing where everyone is.”

Richter closed his eyes, “we still need to find Elsword.”

Anemos’ expression softened, “I know. Please be patient. We’ll find him.”

Richter didn’t respond.

The elf raised her hand to touch his shoulder with kindness. She wanted him to know he wasn’t alone in worrying for their friend. Rune would have chuckled and called them mother hens for fussing over him. His cheery and optimistic personality was naive, foolish, but it was something that beckoned Anemos to keep an eye on him, ever curious to see what his decision would be when confronted with troubled waters. She wondered if that was what made so many join him on a never ending journey most humans would have grown tired to after weeks.

Finding a place to rest, Anemos laid out her sleeping bag when she heard sparks. It didn’t sound like it was coming from their campfire. A demon or a small animal? She thought she saw something in the forest. Four thin black tails poked out from a bush in a distance, but when Anemos went to check, there was nothing.

What was that?    


	3. Mind and Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Canon Path_ : Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen 
> 
> _Alternate Path_ : Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

_Rage Hearts_

 

A couple of dark elves were stationed when the El Search Party arrived at the outpost with heavy eyelids. The dark elf elder must have instructed them to stay behind if they were still in the process of evacuating the village. White masks obscured their faces, but their sharpened knives and bows positioned for an ambush made it clear they weren’t letting their guard down.  

The sentry guardians let them cram under a tent for shelter from the rain. Black clouds clustered together in an erratic array, thunder striking against Rage’s eardrums as rain overflowed the undergrowth. Lightning flashed in irregular intervals as he and his friends waited in painful silence.

Packing that morning was less than a hassle. Apsara only forgot to retrieve her spare weapons once and it took less than three trips to pack Chevalier’s elaborate tea set customized from Lanox. Being a soldier himself, he didn’t own a lot of possessions. He spent most of the morning making sure nothing was left behind and that everyone was present and accounted for. They were waiting for Aether and Crusader when one of the dark elves spoke. 

“Your party number seems to increase every time we meet.”

“I’m sorry?” Perplexed by what the dark elf meant, Rage did a mental headcount. There were nine of them, which was three short because Knight was gone and they were still waiting for two party members to rejoin. Did the dark elf mistaken?

“No, there are nine of us,” Apsara waved her finger in the air to recount their team members.   

The dark elf didn’t falter from her statement, “I saw humans in the forest last night. Elder Edith told us not to attack on her command, but if you are hiding more humans...”

“We’re not,” Rage said. “If there were more of us, we would have told you.”  

“How many people were there?” Code: Esencia asked.

“At least a dozen,” the other dark elf replied. “They were in smaller groups as you were.”

“Sorry for the wait,” Aether stepped under the tent. Her staff raised above her head to form a magical barrier shielding her from the rain. In contrast to the El Search Party, Aether remained dry aside from a few wrinkles that needed to be ironed out. “It took longer than I thought to get here with the sudden rain.”  

“We’ll be outside if you humans need us,” the dark elf said. Her comrade nodded to the party and excuse themselves from the tent.

The dark elves have left the El Search Party with new information that must have been baffling for them because Daybringer had ceased talking to Bluhen, who had a sullen expression but nodded when she stopped to explain something. Empire, Ishtar, and Chevalier discussed among themselves on the implications of potential human allies. Esencia and Bringer were silent on the affair, deep in their thoughts and had nothing to contribute to the conversation.     

 _There at least a dozen humans beside them!_ Rage was shocked by the number. They haven’t had new members join the El Search Party since Chevalier and Ishtar, who arrived as a pair in Lanox. Regardless, with strict policies to outsiders, it was unlikely for humans to settle in Varnimyr without the dark elves’ notice. Who were those strangers and what were the chances of coming into contact with them? With their luck, very likely.

“What’s going on? Everyone’s quiet,” Aether frowned.

“Sorry, Aisha. I could hardly sleep last night.” Apsara wiped her eyes to dust away a tear, “It was hard to.”

“Sorry about the late letter,” Aether chuckled. “Didn’t want you to worry for not saying where we were.” 

“Where’s Chung?” Rage noted the absence of the young man.

The mage stuttered, “He’s occupied at the moment. Don’t worry, he’ll be here soon!”

Aether smiled, but her brows visibly twitching at an intensity that left little of her answer to be believed. Sitting between Rage and Apsara, she had her hands over the helm of her skirt, picking at a loose piece of thread she found. Worry and discomfort were apparent in how she crossed her legs with restlessness.   

“What did you want to tell us?” Empire sat next to the mage.

Aether hummed, “There’s a trail leading to clues that might tell us what happened to Elsword. You must have seen the forest before you arrived.”

It was unlike anything they have seen before. Unevenly burned and charred, the trees were stripped bare of their bark and collapsed at the slightest human contact. The smell of smoke was still fresh in Rage’s mind. Parts of it were still burning from yesterday when Bluhen found the battle site until the downpour started. It was no ordinary fire. The burn marks stopped abruptly midway through the woods and the destructive path it laid in ruins was too well calculated to be of natural occurrence.    

Albeit the clumsiness and likely lack of control over their magic, Rage could see the power in what was leftover from how through the fire was. He had doubts they would find anything of use from the remnants of the burned down forest. Broken bottles and discarded glass jars told the mercenary the damage was likely caused by another human. An arsonist in the Demon Realm? The magic humans used for magic was different than the blue fire Ishtar and Chevalier used in battle. Not as destructive as demon fire, but just as unpredictable and difficult to control without proper training.   

“There were footprints, but as you may guess, most of it was gone by the time we found them.” Aether said, “Human footprints mixed with-”

“Corrupted Elrianode monsters,” Bluhen finished, long eyelashes brushing over green pupils. “Elsword wanted to assess the cause of the sudden spike in the presence of El. I agreed to go with him to ensure his safety, but we were split apart when we saw the monsters.”

That was new information for the El Search Party.

Bringer’s scowl grew deeper, uttering incohesive words that were less than savory. Apsara looked at Empire with concern as the red knight’s shoulders stiffened at the mention of her brother, clamping her gloved hands into tight fists. Quiet chatter spouted between some of the team members, words of hushed worry and fear.

Esencia wasn’t as transparent in her emotions, but the sadness in her eyes was apparent. The Nasod queen placed her weight on Remy and Moby, patting them with gentleness unlike one of a Nasod.  

“That idiot,” Aether growled. Red flashed across the mage’s features, a mixture of anger and regret, even guilt from how hard she gripped her staff if that was any indication. “He could have waited for us to help him with the investigation. Why does he think he has to deal with everything by himself?”

Knight would have taken their concern with a bashful laugh. Flustered but with an appreciative smile before covering his embarrassment with an apology, leaving one to wonder if the man was aware of the effect he had on others.

He was not the most intelligent of the bunch, but his impressive stamina and strive to move forward was admirable. That was what made Knight approachable and likable because he wasn’t threatening. Rare naivety for someone his age, yet it was his strength to explains why he had supportive friends willing to stay by his ideals.      

“Um… The dark elves said they saw humans.” Apsara decided to change the topic to break the silence, “What does that mean? I thought we were the only ones. Did you see them, Aisha?”

The mage shook her head.

“It’s not improbable,” Ishtar said, the former demon monarch idly flicking her tail. “It would be naive to think we were the first outsiders the dark elves have met. Demons have invaded the human world before, so it’s not unlikely the same has happened in reverse.”

“Is it an invasion if there are only twelve of them?” Chevalier mused.

“Humans are capable even in small numbers,” Esencia stated.

 _That’s why humans won the Nasod War_ , Rage thought. Humans do not have half the abilities demons, but their adaptability and tenacity made up for it, as he had found out when he met the El Search Party. No one else was as foolish or stubborn as the children that were willing to put their lives on the line to rescue a bizarre cyborg experiment.  

“Should we warn the dark elves?” Daybreaker asked.

“We don’t know what kind of people they are,” Apsara argued. “We should watch them first before we do anything. They could be new allies!”

“Or they can be new enemies,” Bringer drawled. “But still, not a bad idea.”

“I sense their El,” Bluhen said. “But they share the same wavelength as us. They have better control over it than the demons do.”  

“What you described sounds like the shadows we fought in the Hall of El.” Aether crossed her arms.

The shadows’ physical appearances, movements, even their voices mirrored their real counterparts. They were manifestations of the El, whispering sweet promises and luring them into a false sense of security. It was a good thing none of them caved in because the El Search Party could have disbanded from missing members.  

Daybreaker crossed examined the purple-haired woman with the eyes of a medic, taking note of the lack of open wounds or injuries. It didn’t appear that Aether partook in a recent fight. “You seem to be in good health, but what about Chung? Are the potions for him?”

“I guess you can say that,” Aether rubbed her forehead. “He’ll be here soon enough, hahaha…”

Her nervous and forced laughter left more questions than answers. She was going to leave red marks on her forehead if she kept rubbing it.

The mage mumbled, “What’s taking him so long?”

Rage narrowed his eyes. Aether was an intelligent young woman, but hiding information from the group was not what the mercenary appreciated if they were discussing the health of a fellow team member. Opening his mouth, he was ready to interrogate her before Empire interjected. 

“We can wait for Chung, but you need to be honest with us if he doesn’t come in fifteen minutes.” Empire warned Aether, “I understand if he wants you to lie to spare our feelings, but we don’t have the time to play these charades.”

“Right…” Aether’s eyes averted.

“Did you find the remains?” Bringer ignored the leers Bluhen was sending him. “We found the loser’s scabbard. Did you call this meeting to tell us what we already know?”

It was strange his scabbard was the only thing remaining. Where did Knight’s greatsword go? His scabbard was identified closer to their campsite than where Rage thought the battle between their former leader and the monsters took place. The ones Bluhen fought must have been the last of them because they did not come across any on their way to the resting station to reunite with their teammates. Those beings held no inhibition or motivation of their own unless controlled by a Henir cultist. 

“Remains?” Aether gawked at the brawler, “What are you talking about?”  

“Ow, let go!” A familiar voice whined from outside the tent.

A male voice exclaimed, “You’re going to reopen your wounds if you walk like that!”

“Your grip is going to reopen them!” They huffed, “When did you get this strong? Easy on the hand holding!”

The voices grew louder in a cacophony.

Drenched from the rain was a young man emerging into the tent. He wore an unbuttoned thin white jacket with red lining on the edges and belts, which was also soaked from the inconvenient weather. Metallic pieces plated over his thighs for reasons Rage couldn’t understand. What were those plates supposed to protect? Red runes etched over his bare tanned skin on his arms and lower stomach, revealing more runes carved into his palms when he opened them.

Behind him was Crusader. The ponytailed man had an umbrella over his head with a medical kit in hand. Destroyer was strapped to his back and one arm interlocked around the other. His determination was visible as Crusader tugged his elbow inward and pulling them towards the center to Aether’s fire to warm up. 

“If you don’t stay still, those scars will become permanent.” Crusader chastised.

“What’s another scar to add to the many?” He shrugged, “It’s not like we have a healer or anything.”

“We have Ain.” 

“Since when does Ain heal?” 

Aether groaned.     

Long tangled hair tied into a lower ponytail, bangs pulled back by a black headband that did little to keep his fringe out of his eyes. Eyes the color of fire matched his hair. Rage gawked at his choice of clothes. What was he wearing? Those plates weren’t going to protect him from anything unless the demons wanted to attack his thighs. 

“Why are you all so serious?” The man let out a nervous chuckle at his new audience, “You all look like someone just died.”

Empire stepped forward, eyes glazed over him. Arms across the newcomer’s shoulders, she croaked at the familiar face.     

“Elsword?” 

* * *

_Devi_

 

The sun warmed the frigid forest undergrowth with tenderness. Devi smelled smoke coming from the fire Abysser kept alive throughout the night, waking up in hourly shifts to rekindle the dying light. It was a commitment she admired from a distance, not wanting to bother the demon in his morning ritual. Pots and pans clattered in the background as Abysser gathered ingredients he had stocked in Elrianode in preparation for breakfast. 

Marigold glowed in the lower portion to indigo and maroon where the horizon was, a mild portion of the sky in what Devi assumed was what mornings were like in the Demon Realm. In contrast to the numerous moons rotating on their axis, the lonesome sun dipped past the hills. The forest’s chatter dismissed from activity as Devi examined her fingernails, curling them tight in anticipation with quivered lips.

She promised she would follow Flame.

Despite the inconvenience she had brought to the El Search Party because of Ran’s actions, Flame waited for her. What started as routine sparring sessions blossomed into more. They talked about their brothers, their hometowns, the food and people they saw, and the wonders they experienced on their journeys. Although the red knight wasn’t the brightest and sometimes needed things to be explained, her presence was a candlelight when Devi was in a dark place.

Resting her head on her bag, Flame remained exhausted and woozy from last night fight, restless in sleep. Red strands fluttered past her face as she slept on her side, arms tucked into her body. Her chest rose with each passing breath, unaware of Devi sitting close by on a fallen log and watching over her.

The Rune Master meant the world to Flame. Devi understood the feeling of losing a close family member after finally catching a glimpse of them even for a short period of time. Raised in the army and asked to lead at a young age, Flame admitted that her happiest moment wasn’t reuniting with her father, but seeing Rune again and joining his band of oddballs in Velder. Devi couldn’t forget the rage and panic Flame had when she almost lost her brother to the El. 

It was unfair to despise the boy for playing martyr out of the selfless belief that it would restore the El and everything would be fine and dandy. If that was his idea of justice, Devi could respect that, but placing his life in danger shortly after affected her more than she had expected herself to be.

Rune could have chosen not to listen to her story after she had blocked them from attacking her brother. No one was forcing him to accept Devi into the El Search Party or provide her the resources to strengthen her spear. Kindness seemed to run in the family because Rune never judged her for her decision to pursue power over more noble goals

“It sounds important to you, so I trust you.” He said when Devi gave him a quizzical eye. 

 _Missing him?_ Eun asked.

 _Only because he brings her pain,_ Devi replied. She could hear the doubt in the fox spirit’s thoughts but knew better than to probe further.   

If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have met Flame or the other party members, who were just as accepting. It was the kind of trust that could easily be taken advantage of by others.    

Devi smelled the eggs and steamed rice. She considered offering a hand and helping Abysser set the table, but arrangements were already made with plates and bowls ready, utensils lined up and ready to feed five people.

 _There’s only five of us_ , Eun reminded her.

 _Six if we count you,_ Devi held a blank expression on that line of thought. They were seven people short with Rune’s whereabouts unknown. Flame was insistent on regrouping with the rest of their friends. When Devi woke up for her shift, Abysser passed a message that Dominator had found a way to reach them over their communication devices. They were going to leave after breakfast.

Flame moved. Stretching her limbs, she reached for her bag to retrieve a hairbrush to untangle her hair and rolled to the side to greet Devi.

“Mornin’” The fire knight yawned. “Did you sleep well?”

Smiling at her, Devi shook her head. “You know I can’t sleep through the night as well as you can.”

Which was true, because the Demon Realm wasn’t free from crickets. Their loud chirps made the forest come alive and left Devi lying in cold sweat from moving in her sleep. Summers in Demon Realm couldn’t escape insects either, it seemed.   

“What’s on your mind?” Flame teased, “You look like Eun just told you Elsword ate the last steak.”

“I didn’t know he could eat that much!” Devi fumed, feeling her cheeks flush red and stuttered. “You should get ready for breakfast. We’re leaving after to meet up with the others.”

“You heard from them?” Flame was impressed. “That was quick!”

Devi thought about the effort Dominator must have put into making their means of communication functional despite Dark El tempering with it. His fascination with Nasods wasn’t something she understood nor did she care for, but if it helped them on their journey and made things more convenient, then she wasn’t going to complain. It wouldn’t surprise her if the scientist pulled an all-nighter. 

“Why stop when you can make more improvements?” Dominator would have puffed his chest with pride. 

Breakfast was a quiet affair with humble food and bread rationed among party members to last them for at least a few days for their upcoming expedition. With only five mouths to feed, although that would soon bump back to eleven, it didn’t take long to wash the dishes and clean up afterward. It felt like they were camping outside Atlas Station again, surrounded by a foreign environment and little known information to what was in their future. 

It started raining when they finished packing. Water droplets pelted them as Devi clenched her gown to the side to avoid getting it wet, grumbling to herself with dismay. It felt like years since their last experienced proper rainfall, which was when they stopped at Atlas Station. Clouds cluttered and darkened without warning, releasing a downpour over their group as they searched for higher ground to avoid the overflowing river.

“Where did you say we were meeting them again?” Flame pressed her forehead against her palm, rubbing her eyes.

“I told them where we were,” Phantom said. “Hopefully they can find out through this rain.”

Phantom had a baby blue umbrella over his head and a matching scarf. Equally blue eyes locked into Devi’s, still shorter than the older woman even with the added centimeters from his armor. Gray clouds reflecting off his pupils, difficult to read and unpredictable as the way he fought the Hamel demons on their first meeting.

The other half of their group contacted him when Phantom was on patrol duty for the night. From then, the message was passed down the rest of their small group with Devi being the last to tell Flame.

“What are you going to do once we find Elsword?” Phantom asked.

“The same as before,” Devi flashed a sharp-fanged smile. “Ran is still out there and those demons won’t slaughter themselves.”

Phantom didn’t flinch at the half threat, but the disapproval was clear. If he was requesting for a different answer this time, then the guardian of Hamel was in for a disappointment.

Devi let out a humorless laugh. Her brother was still a high priority on her list and taking down the demons that brought him to his fate was her answer. She wasn’t going to pretend it wasn’t a selfish act. It was personal and had little to no involvement with the grander scheme of the El or those involved with it. Ran was but a mere pawn to the demons that wished to invade Elrios and use their resources.   

Strange how life played its pieces into place. She was on the same side as the man who wanted to take down her brother despite the risks that may jeopardize their relations.  

“I hope you understand what it means if you can’t make him change his mind,” Phantom chose his words with care.

“I know,” Devi gripped her hands around her umbrella. They would have to take him down, a thought that had her clenched her teeth on the possibility. “I see them.”

She made out the outlines of Oz’s hat and Dominator’s drones residing behind the scientist, their shadows obscuring the other half of the El Search Party emerging from the storm. They regrouped under the trees, laying their weapons and possessions against the tree trunks. Most of them wore raincoats that went down to their knees with matching umbrellas. 

“I hope there was no trouble getting here,” Phantom said. “Did you come across any demons?”

“Not as many as I thought there would be.” Anemos was apologetic, “Sorry for the wait!”

“Let’s not do this again,” Oz wiped her brow. “This place is big enough as is when we’re together.”

Devi agreed. They had wasted a day searching for each other and avoiding bringing attention to themselves because of their unceremonious entrance into a new world. Too many detours like in Elrios. They could be searching for answers on the Dark El, but time was running out. 

“Any signs or clues to where Elsword is?” Abysser asked.

Richter leaned closer to where Anemos was and averted his gaze when addressed by the demon. Long strands of hair combed over his eyes. The priest stood still under the tree, rain trickling down his pale neck as he engaged in a locked staring contest with Abysser.

Abysser was the first to blink.

“We didn’t find anything, but there are tents nearby.” Abysser took the lack of response from Richter and the others for a no. “I think we’ll have luck if we ask the residents living here.''

“I see.”

Displeasure appeared on Richter’s face not unlike her own, just as irritated on the suggestion of cooperating with demons. They have a poor track record with demons outside of Timoria and Abysser, although that was to be expected with their reputation for giving demons trouble. 

“Eve, is there a way you can search for Elsword?” Flame asked.

Gazing at her with sympathy, Ultimate said. “Remy and Moby can run a scan, but it will take time. They need time to analyze.”

“Thank you,” Flame was appreciative. “I guess that brings us back to square one on finding Elsword.”  

“Unless we run into ourselves,” Blade mumbled.

“What?” Devi stared at the mercenary with intent, waiting for Blade to say he was joking. Okay, the old man was as likely to start joking when Dominator would stop gushing over ancient codes.

“I...may have brought us into the wrong Demon Realm and we might run into ourselves,” Dominator admitted with a sheepish grin.

Devi groaned, “Is that going to give us problems?”

There were correct Demon Realms now? Devi covered her face with a gloved hand and choked on her saliva. There were only so many times she could handle dimension-hopping. First, there was Elysion, then Elrianode, she guessed Demon Realm was another to add to the list.

“If they’re anything like us, they might be helpful in finding the brat,” Dominator mused. “Assuming they don’t see us as a threat.”

 _How reassuring,_ Eun yawned.

 _Not if we take them down first,_ Devi thought. 

“Wrong Demon Realm or not, we still need a starting point to find Elsword.” Blade said, “I think Ciel is right in asking around. We can learn more about the Demon Realm and where we are.”  

“We can do that after the rain stops,” Flame stared at the gray skies. “I doubt we’ll find anyone in this weather.”

Devi gazed at the sky too. It was the kind of weather for her and brother to sit around the fire for a cup of tea after dinner. She was always careful not to add too many tea leaves after the one time she forgot and used all of them in one sitting. Ran wouldn’t stop laughing about it afterward, but it didn’t make her feel bad because he offered to make a new pot of tea. If they were in a different Demon Realm, did that mean this Ran wasn’t the one she grew up with? Devi didn’t know what to think of that.

Alternatives of themselves. What were they like? Would her counterpart be nothing but a shadow of herself like those manifestations in the Hall of El? Or would the look-alike be a mirror image for Devi to notice the visible flaws until she had enough and lose her mind? If there was another Flame, would they still get along? Devi laid her head down and sighed. She had enough of this dimension bullshit. 

* * *

_Knight Emperor_

 

_“Who are you?” Knight stared at the sleeping figure. A trap set by demons? What were they doing here?  
_

_That couldn’t be a civilian. They shared his face. Not an exact copy because they wore their hair like they left a late-night party and had questionable clothes, but that wasn’t the point! How could that be possible? They felt too real to be an imitation like the shadows he had fought in the Temple of Trials.  
_

_“Ugh, my head hurts.” They stood up, wobbling with their hand over their head. “Woah, did I hit my head that hard? I see two of me!”  
_

_“You’re telling me,” Knight crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, studying his look alike. The red markings reminded him of the runes he studied when he still bothered going to school before picking up a sword. Well, they couldn’t both call themselves Elsword, so his counterpart was going to be named Rune. Wait, he was getting distracted... “Why are you here?”_

_“Better question,” Rune laughed. “Why are you here?”  
_

_“I don’t have time for this,” Knight groaned at the question flipped on its head and back to himself. “Earthquakes are going on and we still don’t know anything about the Dark El. I need to get back to my friends and-”_

_“Wow, you’re searching for answers on that too?” That perked Rune’s attention, “I guess you really are me!”_

_Knight wasn’t as keen on being associated with his counterpart. Past experiences with similar entities were unpleasant and often ended in brawls. Would that happen again with this one? Knight closed his eyes. He was still exhausted from the fight.  
_

_“Hey, don’t space out on me. Are you okay?”  
_

_Knight jerked his head forward to the sound of rattling, his mind paused on the present and went to autopilot. Twisting his body, Knight threw himself in front of his counterpart and blocked a set of sharp teeth with his sword, shoving his counterpart to the ground with his free hand and away from the attacker. Knight opened his mouth to scream at Rune to leave, but nothing came out. He could feel the demon breathing down on him as it pinned him.  
_

_The demon attacked.  
_

Water dripped from the high ceiling, echoing within the walls of the enclosure with no interruptions. The ground was damp and had a mossy smell to the gravel beneath Knight’s boots. He woke up to the sight of a sharp point of a crystal growing from the ceiling, pointing down to where he laid. Knight held his breath and pulled himself away before he could hurt himself from wanting to touch the crystal to see if it was as tough as his greatsword.

Fluorescent light radiated from crystals on the sides of the walls in pink, orange, blue, and purple, some as tall as a human adult. Some of the crystals sprouted from the ceiling and the ground up, forming an effective wall and blocking possible exits. Smaller rocks were placed strategically in the corners of the confinement. Shelves carved into the walls behind him with nothing but dust to greet Knight.

Where was he? Peeking through the gaps between the crystallized wall, repeated formations of crystals and boulders expanded with no end in sight. He was inside a cavern. A metallic smell stuck to the walls, one that Knight was well accustomed to by now. It smelled like blood.

Was this the Shadow Driller’s hideout? Knight turned around frantically in search for the demon that brought him here. It resembled the Shadow Snipers invading Hamel almost two years ago, but it looked stronger. Thorns protruded over its head and orange scales plated over its spine and limbs, standing on hind legs and claws reached out for him. It was easily taller than him by at least one to two heads. What was Knight supposed to do if there were more of them?

He needed to leave.

The Emperor Knight reached for his greatsword from the sheath on his back, feeling for his weapon and moving his arm back further when there was nothing. His blood turned into ice. The absence of his weapon was apparent.

He failed to keep his promise to his friends and got himself caught in a sticky situation. How long would it take for the El Search Party to figure out where he was? Knight himself didn’t know how far he was from his friends. He didn’t remember seeing a cave or a cavern close to their campsite.

Where did he drop his sword? It was by his side when Knight fought off the Elrianode monsters and found Rune, who was nowhere to be found.

A hollow feeling rose from his chest. Did Rune understand his intention and escape while Knight fought the Shadow Driller as a distraction? Or did Rune stay behind to fight and get caught as a prisoner?

His counterpart was less fazed by Knight’s existence than vice versa, but he didn’t seem to have bad intentions if his first response was to talk things out instead of attack. That was a change in pace for Knight after dealing with demons who felt more obliged to slice him in half rather than hold a conversation.   

Rune said something about researching the Dark El. It sounded similar to the resolve Knight made with his friends after they pulled him out of the El’s influence. Determination mirrored back when Knight looked at his alternative, purpose and responsibility weighing on the shoulders of an eighteen-year-old with battle scars. Those scars looked worse than his, making Knight gain sudden self-conscious over his body. If it wasn’t for Bluhen, would he be similar to his other self? They had minute differences, but their mind and body were the same.   

If Rune existed, then did the rest of the El Search Party exist as well? Knight tried to imagine meeting Aether or Bluhen’s alternatives, but the image of them wearing clothes as meager as Rune wasn’t something he was going to forget. Did it matter if they were different? They would still be his friends.

This was something Bringer would have enjoyed discussing because the brawler held a fascination for alternative dimensions and the like. Knight was sure he would explain how people like Rune were possible when they held more free will than any of the shadows they have encountered before. Until he could break his way out and find his friends, he was on his own.  

Lifting his head, Knight was greeted by a pale face.

“Aaah!” Knight knocked his head against the wall, covering his head in pain. Hitting his head on a stone wall was a bad idea. 

The small figure giggled, their face was well hidden by the hood they wore adorned with cat ears. A child? Not as tiny as Ishtar, they stood up to his shoulder in a one-piece suit and a jacket hoodie zipped up. Thin chains extended from their tailcoat with sharpened ends, matching the magenta-colored gloves they wore. The child’s clothes held no wrinkles, the insides of their hood patterned in purple diamonds and they weren’t sweating like Knight was. A recent captive?

Knight apologized and rubbed his head. “I didn’t know you were in there. Sorry if I bothered you.”

Were they always there? They looked so small with the layer of clothes on them. Assuming the silence for shyness, Knight didn’t push on the child and offered an encouraging smile. He had to stay strong. The child didn’t need to see him in distress or panic that he had no idea where they were. That’s what Empire did when they were children because she wanted him to believe in her. He would do the same for the new child.

“You don’t happen to know how to get out of here, do you?” Knight asked.

No response, not even nodding or shaking their head for any indication they heard him. They were holding something. The child held up a leather bag that was easily half of their weight, prompting Knight to accept it.

“You want me to open it?” Knight forgot to tell the child that it was his bag. How did they take it without his notice? Was he surprised to see another human being that he had let his guard down?

Knight emptied the bag and laid the contents side by side, gesturing the child to sit next to him. Snow fruits, desert sweet potatoes, and bulky carrots were bred to be sturdy vegetables, but he felt guilty when he saw how much were bruised. Expired tickets and flyers from COBO services came out of the back pockets, colors and lettering faded away and smelled like Sander Jerky. A leather sack held hundreds of millions of gold coins Knight had been saving to upgrade armor and weapons. Spices for food and fragment powder for crafting them into El Tear fragments were organized by color and type.

Initially organized into smaller compartments courtesy to Bringer, who complained about his habits for tossing everything together in the bag, well… Old habits are hard to break and Knight was back to square one. Elixirs, potions, crafting material, accessories, clothes, certificates, scrolls, and stamps cluttered his bag.

The child glared at the growing pile of trash.

“I know it’s a lot,” Knight was embarrassed. “There’s nothing to do here, I guess now is a good time to start organizing.”

He was never going to hear the end of this if Aether or Bringer found out that he forgot to keep his stuff clean. With two people, it was still a Herculean task sort out the trash and know what to keep. It was tempting to hold on to everything, but Knight felt a pair of eyes dig into the back of his neck when he suggested keeping the old coins the town alchemists no longer accepted for crafting services (1). Couldn’t a guy get a little nostalgic?    

“That’s the last of it!” Knight smiled when they finished cleaning. “You didn’t have to help me, but thanks!”

The child ignored him, turning their head away from the knight. The disappointment was apparent at the mess he was making. Knight laughed nervously when he saw where they were looking. Kept in a flask the color of the wind El, he made out the cursive writing on a label “Blessed Giant Hand Potion” (2).

Next to it laid a greatsword Knight didn’t remember owning. Bulkier in appearance, the crossguard was more circular than what he was used to and the hilt had red belts attached. The blade itself was as wide as his head but thinner at the point. When Knight tested the greatsword, he was shocked that it was lighter than it looked. At closer inspection, he recognized the symbols on the hilt and blade to be runes he couldn’t understand. Was this Rune’s sword? What was it doing here and how did he pick it up without knowing? But still, this was good to have something to defend himself when they make their breakout.   

“You think this will work?” Knight asked. _What a dumb question_ , he thought, but he missed having someone to talk to despite their conversations being one-sided.

Knight sweated when the child smiled at him full of sharp teeth. They were going to break out with sheer force. That could work.  

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Knight chuckled, “Stay close to me.”

He choked on the breath-taking hold the child had, wrapping their arms in a binding hug around the waist. Knight gently tapped on their gloved hands to let go. The child loosened their grip, backing away and giving him room in preparation for their escape. 

Feeling his hand over the crystallized wall, Knight snapped his eyes tight, concentrating on the spot with the weakest support. Unbottled elixir in hand, his lungs were on fire like he had inhaled sugar into his nostrils. His hands enlarged and Knight breathed.  

One, two, three!

“Hyaaaah!” Knight charged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Old coins (1)_ \- Once upon a time, Elsword had Secret Dungeon coins and separate crafting material for each Secret Dungeon set. 
> 
> _“Blessed Giant Hand Potion” (2)_ \- An elixir that causes the character hands and weapon to become bigger and have an increase in damage boost.


	4. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Canon Path_ : Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen 
> 
> _Alternate Path_ : Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

_Aether Sage_

 

Her journey with Knight has been a long one, for better or worse. Five years of camping and fighting alongside with a teenager with muscles for brains, who grew up to be a considerate man with more experience in the battlefield and was better about thinking before he spoke. Aether had seen the many faces of her teammate - the good, the bad, and the stupid. So why did it feel like she was talking to a stranger? 

What happened to him? ‘Knight’ slouched in his seat, made casual comments, and lacked tact in his words, eager to point out his observations. It was remarkable in the attention to detail he had and surprised Aether when he asked if her gloves were insulated to withstand magic backfires, but annoying when he started interrogating Crusader about his armor.   

“Did everyone change clothes while I was out?” He asked the night before. 

Hair as red as his eyes and perhaps showed too much with the unbuttoned jacket. Wasn’t he cold? It was summer in the Demon Realm according to Ishtar, but summers continued to be shorter than those in Elrios.

Concern was obvious on Empire’s face, “I’m sorry it took us longer to get here. I’m sure Ain can heal those for you.” 

“I’m fine,” the younger Sieghart insisted when she wanted to inspect the injuries. “They’re not as bad as they look.”

Aether wasn’t as convinced but didn’t press on. She didn’t want to break up a moment between the siblings because the mage was sure she would have liked a moment with her grandfather if they were separated in similar circumstances. ‘Knight’ must have thought the same because he didn’t argue with Empire and let the elder knight dry him off with a towel. Damping his forehead with a hand cloth, the smile on the edge of Empire’s lips reminded her of a distant memory of her mother doing the same when she was a young child. 

“You look different, Elsword. A little...thinner.” Ishtar commented. 

“Do I?” He exclaimed, “Fighting demons is stressful!”  

The demon sovereign studied the man, scanning the knight with her lips sealed into a straight light. Did she sense something? Aether did not hold the ability to detect El as much as Bluhen and Ishtar, or had access to technology that could as Bringer and Esencia did. It was a useful ability to have and could change the nature of battles on the whim if one took advantage of it.  

Ishtar covered her mouth and giggled at his response, “You need to pay more attention to our fights then. You clearly haven’t fought me enough times to know what demons are capable of!” 

“I might have to do that more often!” ‘Knight’ agreed. 

Aether facepalmed. No, he was definitely Knight. Only an idiot would respond to a challenge in the same manner he did. It was very like him to grin at the face of a fight and see it as a way to build his strength. Demon sovereign or not, beneath the regality was a demon eager to find an excuse for fights and Knight was frequently happy to fulfill that with the occasional spars and with their other teammates. 

Daybreaker asked, “Where did you find him?”

“Not too far from here,” Aether said. “You’re lucky you weren’t here yesterday. He looked worse without the bandages.”  

On his back covered in burns and scratches, ‘Knight’ was unconscious when they found him, but was responsive to the potions. They found shelter nearby in the form of trees covering them from most of the wind and Crusader brought extra clothes and sleeping bags in case they found their friend. What they didn’t expect was the unusual behavior. 

When he woke up in a jolt, a fire flared in his eyes before the redhead recognized their faces and stopped struggling, pausing to examine them with caution. What did the demons do to make him react to them as enemies?   

The initial confusion met with bewilderment, demands for answers to questions of things she had no answer to. Why did ‘Knight’ have a sudden interest in what she wore and how she put up her hair? His reaction to Crusader was strange too, the inquiries to how the destroyer worked and what made the guardian of Hamel decide to stick to the original cannon he built. These were questions Bringer would ask, not the knight whose head was more often consumed by battle tactics and swords. The sudden attention ‘Knight’ held, interested in his teammates as if it was the first time they met. It was uncanny and out of character.  

Daybreaker chuckled, “Then it’s a good thing he has you and Chung to take care of him.”

Aether stole a glance to the knight again, seeing him bobbing his head in agreement to something Bluhen said, awe and amazement when the priest closed his wounds with a flash of green light. It was an advanced form of magic she had read about in books. 

“Don’t move too much,” Bluhen warned. “I healed the worst of the injuries, but your body needs time to recover.” 

“Sorry for making you worried,” ‘Knight’ couldn’t take his eyes off his healing leg, mesmerized by the efficiency. Wiggling his toes, he spotted Rage and said with a sly grin, “Raven, you didn’t tell me! You finally realized the power in being shirtless!”

Aether couldn’t believe he had the gall to comment on the older male’s choice in armor. Well, she had thoughts of asking, but that was rude and inappropriate when what he wore was none of her business! He was going to get a lecture of a lifetime.  

Bluhen was amused, “He’s right, Mr. Half-Nasod. You don’t wear a lot of clothes.” 

“What?” Rage was taken back. Looking down at his armor, or rather ahem, a lack of it to where his vital organs were, the older male turned coughed with embarrassment. “Don’t be absurd.”

“Elsword!” Aether hissed, “Don’t say weird stuff!” 

“Ow, not my ear. Please don’t curse me,” ‘Knight’ winced in seeing her hands ready to grab him by the ear in irritation. 

Curse him? Aether pulled her hand away. She was skilled, but curses were not in her repertoire. It would take a mage years of experience and special training to perform the most basic form of the sort. Knight must have placed her in high regards to think she was capable of that. It was flattering, yet worrying. She wasn’t that kind of person.   

It was as if ‘Knight’ had never left them. For a guy who found bruised and covered in bandages, the man was back on his feet, chatting and commenting on something Apsara said. Discussions about meat and barbeque were overheard when Aether leaned back to catch her breath. He asked Esencia about Remy and Moby and greeted Chevalier when he caught the butler sitting to the side of the conversation with a cookbook out.

“Do you know who attacked you?” Rage asked, “How many were there?” 

‘Knight’ didn’t answer right away, opening his palms to reveal runes carved in red. “There are demons that shoot spikes and thorns on their back. Never saw them. There were probably at least eight or nine of them, maybe more.”

That explained the puncture wounds on his body. They must be strong if they took their leader by surprise, Aether was alarmed. She never heard of those demons. There might be more lurking in the woods and they were recovering from the fight with the Nephilim Lord. Their survival was because of Bluhen’s persistent healing and Empire’s quick thinking to come up with the strategic tactics to split the team for one group to distract Nephilim Lord and the other to hit the weak spots.   

“How long were we in Demon Realm?” ‘Knight’ asked.  

Bringer wasn’t one to mince his words and snorted, “Did you lose your brain cells? It’s been six weeks!” 

“You know what they say,” he sang. “You lose track of track of time when you’re having fun~”

What kind of answer was that? The brawler stared, questioning if ‘Knight’ was all right in the head and Aether would be lying if she said she wasn’t too. What could be fun about surviving in the wilderness to avoid being spotted by demons? Although Knight was never good at sneaking around because he would rather take them head-on and bulldoze his way through things.     

“That’s not nice to say!” Apsara scolded. “Elsword has gone through a lot. Let him rest!” 

“No one is stopping him,” Bringer shrugged. “It’s not my fault if he slows us down.” 

“It’s not a problem if it helps Elsword,” Bluhen interjected.  

So much for the team meeting, Aether sighed. Her teammates were as lively as ever. This was supposed to be an opportunity for them to regroup and sort out their thoughts to address any questions before making their way back to Elrianode. As soon as ‘Knight’ came into the picture, their discussion dispersed into utter chaos. She almost couldn’t hear her thoughts through the noise her teammates were making. Aether debated on leaving the tent until she caught him chuckling. 

“I’m glad you guys get along.” 

“Who? Us?” Bringer pointed at himself and Bluhen, “You really have lost it.” 

“Well, you’re not what I expected either.” ‘Knight’ grinned. 

“What did you say?” Bringer glared and shook him by the shoulders. Despite gaining a couple of inches in recent years, ‘Knight’ remained shorter than the brawler by several inches, but laughed.   

“How about we stop the conversation here?” Daybreaker appeared between the two. A vein popped on the side of the elf’s head, “You wouldn’t want to put Ain’s efforts into vain, would you Elsword?”

‘Knight’ caught the hint and rubbed the back of his neck. “Of course, not!” He sweated and changed the topic, “Uh, Chung! Was there anyone besides me back there?”  

“When we found you? No.” Crusader’s expression darkened, “Did they hurt you?”

Hands covered in calluses and scar tissue webbed over the burns and cuts ‘Knight’ sported on his body. He waved his arms in frantic, shaking his head. Side bangs hung from the side of his head and his ponytail flicked over.       

He kept his arms closed, legs closed inward that drew Aether’s attention to the red markings on his lower stomach and arms. There was no reason for ‘Knight’ to be wearing that ridiculous outfit after Crusader offered him a change in clothes. A nagging feeling edged in the back of her mind. Did Knight ever learn to read and understand runes? Aether was troubled in that she could not answer the growing number of questions she had about her teammate.  

“That’s not it,” ‘Knight’ winced at the harshness in the guardian’s tone. “They protected me and I couldn’t do anything about it.” 

“What do they look like?” Crusader asked. 

“Funny you should ask that,” he said with no humor.

This gnawing feeling wouldn’t go away. It didn’t make sense. Was it that Aether didn’t know her teammate as well as she thought she did? Did those years she spent with Knight mean nothing when she couldn’t recall if he ever had interest or hobbies beyond sword fighting and battle tactics? Knight’s decision to sacrifice himself to the El cemented how much she and the rest of the group underestimated him for what he was capable of. It took yesterday’s disappearance for Aether to realize how little she knew of Knight as a person, not the leader of the El Search Party. She couldn’t even fathom why he chose to pursue things by himself until Crusader pointed out the obvious.    

Aether couldn’t breathe.  

“There’s something I need to tell you,” he began.   

* * *

_Knight Emperor_

 

“How big is this place?” Knight gazed to see miles of his environment in a repeated pattern. 

Crystals, cave, walls, more crystals, the occasional thorny demons not unlike the one that ambushed him and Rune. Their needle thorns pierced his skin and drained his stamina, but he had learned to dodge them after his legs grew numb for the tenth time. It left a tingling sensation before the effects take place and left him struggling to move. 

The cavern layout was a maze looping itself around several times with more demons waiting for them. The Shadow Guards had bulkier shoulders with tall narrow teeth that charged and tried to crush Knight with its muscular arms. Wisp-like demons circled Knight and the child, eager to sap them of their strength and disappearing as quickly as they came. Longer fights and stronger enemies extended the further they drew away from their original point.

“Behind!” Knight shouted. 

He pushed the child away from the charging demon, blocking its attack with his sword and using his weight to push it away. Narrowly avoiding getting bulldozed by the demon, Knight dug his sword into the ground to stand his ground in the earthquake and in the aftershock created by the demon. He drew his blade and swiped the Shadow Guard, pulling his sword into the chest and watching it twitch before it went limp in his hold. Jet black ink sprayed over the dusty floor. Knight leaned on his sword for support and breathed.    

“You need to stop running off,” he gasped for air. “I don’t want you to get lost! What if something happens to you?” 

Do they have a home? A nagging voice tugged at the edge of Knight’s mind. He didn’t know anything about the child. Who they were, where they’re from, why they were here, or even what their face looked like, but that didn’t stop him from being concerned. When he and Empire lost their family, they had each other and the village for support. What if the child had no one and that’s why he was alone? 

The child covered their mouth with both of their sleeves, cat ears drooping from the top of their hood. Muffled cries came out and their body shook, the child lying on the floor with their legs sprawled out in a position that could not be comfortable. Worried when there was no response, Knight rested his hand on their arm, careful not to scare them. It then hit him how scrawny the child was underneath the layers of clothing. Their arm was thinner than Knight’s when he was around their age.  

“Here, let me see your hands.” Knight let them wrap their hand around him in a tighter than expected grasp. “You’re okay.”    

Was this how Empire Sword felt when she raised him? She used to track him by the trail of mud left at their door to catch Knight covered in scratches and grass-stained knees.   

Arms covered in puffy sleeves and magenta gloves flopped over. Knight missed the curled lips for a moment when the gloves came off to reveal pale translucent skin. Pink and sweaty from running around with Knight, but otherwise no scratches for any indication that they have fighting demons. 

He raised a brow. 

It might be connected to their keen ability to sense demons, Knight theorized. Despite their small size, or maybe that was the advantage, the child was good at not being detected by the demons and snuck up on him more than once. He sometimes lost track of them and found them on the opposite side of the rooms without an explanation. 

The child laughed. A soft chuckle laced with amusement and an all-knowing smile that held secrets they refused to proclaim, certainly not to a person they had met hours ago. Knight would be hard-pressed to think he was going to get the full story behind the child in the span of hours he had known them.    

“See? Not a single scratch!” Knight patted the child on the head, “Just a little further and I’m sure we’ll be out of here in no time!” 

The child hissed, shrinking away from his hand and turned their head. Knight retreated his hand with an apologetic look and mumbled a sorry. Right, they didn’t like being touched on the head. He hoped that his friends wouldn’t mind having an extra mouth to feed until they could find better living arrangements for the child. The battlefield was no place for someone as young as them.    

Where was out? They were in a part of the cave where the air became acrid and unbearable for Knight to breathe, gagging when he inhaled dust and debris. It was dead silent for the entity of the trip except for the sound of their breathing and the rustling of their clothes brushed against the damp walls. 

Glowing crystals lit the narrow paths Knight chose to follow to avoid the bigger demons, although, with his poor luck, there were more demon encounters than he could count. Numerous and crawling in about every corner of the caves, these demons were persistent and went after them once they spotted the humans until confronted. Most were weak and couldn’t stand to a few swipes and kicks, but there were a few craftier ones that required more creative strategies. 

To his relief, no humans or signs of their presence were seen on their search for an exit from the heart of demon territory. Rune must have escaped and avoided the same fate as him, Knight smiled. If things didn’t work out on his end, he could at least count on his alternative to be safe. Another Elsword could always take the torch and find a way to restore the El. 

The child stopped in their tracks, kneeling and lying one hand over the ground and leaning their head into their knee. Chains at the end of their coat curled at the edges, serpentine in movement as they swayed to the side. Knight thought they were chains from their mechanical appearance, but he could have sworn he saw them twitched the number of times he checked to see if the child was behind him.     

“What’s wrong?” Knight asked. 

A harsh screech pierced the damp air, echoes bouncing around enclosed walls and shaking the foundations for each bellow. The ground beneath them shook, gravel loosened and dragged Knight to his knees and head hung low.  His tendons protested in the tugging and pulling, impatient and demanding as Knight hugged one arm around a giant crystal in desperation.  

An earthquake. There were smaller tremors when he explored the cave, but this one felt bigger than the previous ones. Was this the culprit for the ones he felt yesterday?

Swinging his weight to a pink-colored crystal about a meter away from him, Knight used his remaining strength to pull himself up for a better view before he saw the looming figure emerge from the shadows. What was that thing? 

Its body was enclaved with gems and ores. Luminescent stones erupted from its back, forming a crown around its head with blades on its limbs and lower body. Crystals formed vertically down one what appeared to be the mouth with little imagination needed beyond the many rows of teeth. Smoother crystals had curved surfaces embedded into the folds of the monster’s rough exoskeleton - on its chest, hips, and extra appendages sticking out from its body for purposes Knight would have preferred to be kept in the dark about.       

Unlike the Shadow Drillers and Shadow guards that reached the height of a grown adult, the new monster’s shoulders dragged across the sides of the wall. Why should it let limited space hinder its movements through the tunnels? It left claw marks on the ground with its eerily humanoid hands, swinging a giant lantern made of the same material as its body with speed Knight wouldn’t have expected from a behemoth. 

It vanished into the darkness and phased back into existence, appearing before Knight and swinging a chained sword in its wake. A dull, but blunt blade materialized in its hand. It had a weapon too? 

He let out a less than heroic yell, throwing his body to the floor and sliding between the Dark Agate’s legs and pulling himself back up with his greatsword. Knight unceremoniously scooped the child up in a dash away from the unworldly monster, their legs hanging over his arms and hugging his neck for support. Nothing he couldn’t do, Knight reassured himself. This wouldn’t be the first time he fought a demon or a monster several times his size. 

“Hang on tight, Knight told the child. “Don’t let go.” 

They clung to him with their arms pressed tight around his neck. Good, they understood the dire situation.  

Bringing his sword over his head, Knight took a leap, slashing the heavy blade over the Dark Agate’s numerous eyes. He used his legs to kick and roll away from impending attacks, letting gravity pull him to the ground in helping him dodge the spikes and needles shooting from the monster’s back. Its hoarse screams echoed the chambers and shook its foundations, forcing Knight to press his weight against the wall for support. 

There was little time for him to catch his breath. A bronze sword swung at his direction, narrowly blocked by Knight’s greatsword. He struggled to redirect the blade, overpowered by the towering Dark Agate. Red flickered in his vision and the first blood dripped from his neck.  

Reaching for his back pocket, Knight chugged half a bottle of Ventus’ Wing Elixir. It felt like he had swallowed the ointment Chevalier used to heal burns, a cool but burning sensation in his throat. In exchange, his legs became light and nimble as air. He saw his chance and ran.  

The lantern it held in its hand brightened into dusty purple as the Dark Agate opened it, a blinding light rivaling the crystals in the caves. Knight charged, aiming for the wrist with the lantern to knock it off before it went off. 

Strong energy levels of Dark El resonated from its body, solidifying and washed over them in waves. It became harder to breathe. Knight felt lightheaded and struggled to concentrate. His legs grew weak and he struggled to stand up. A familiar metallic taste reached his tongue, swallowing his own blood and feeling the heat travel to his head.  

The room went pitch black. 

Knight blinked and he heard the chains. He strained for signs of the monster, but his senses have gone numb from the battle. The sword in his hand suddenly felt too heavy for him to hold, slipping from his sweaty hands. Dark laughter echoed the caves and light flooded back into the room.  

Knight didn’t notice until it was too late. Spikes hardened into crystals and pierced into his chest. His vision went red as his body went into shock and became limp.

He promised his friends he wouldn’t disappoint them again. They must be searching for him now and wondering where he was. Knight should have waited for everyone to be awake instead of going off by himself with only Bluhen for support. Lady of El, he made Bluhen worry for him again. His friends were going to be hurt because of him. Some friend he was.   

Knight waited, lying in unbearable silence and darkness. Demons, monsters, the Dark El, they lost importance in a seemingly infinite amount of time. Darkness surrounded him and cradled him in a state that was half awake, half asleep. Pain returned to his body when he heard a familiar cackle from a distance. Gasps and whispers filled his head until it became too much, overstimulating yet underwhelming all at once.   

The knight woke up with panic.

What happened? He had crystals buried into his body, but his skin was now free of shards and blood. His body looked fine, but Knight remembered how much it hurt. He should have died from the impact of having a few dozen shards shot through his body. How was he alive?   

“Good morning!” A voice rang. 

Knight froze. They didn’t sound like Rune or anyone from the El Search Party. This voice was nasal, a low whisper fringed with bemusement and mockery in tone.  

Standing before him was a man with long hair that reached down to his ankles, curtained down the back like a billowing cape. A long-sleeved top covered his body with the collar hiding his neck. An unzipped hooded jacket draped loosely over his small shoulders and pants with belts were looped with chains. At the center of his chest held a pink core glowing in unison with eyes the color of the night sky. He sported a single scar slashed down one side of his face and had a set of six drones floating beside him.

“My hero!” Shark teeth peeked behind the man’s lips, “That’s what you were going to say, right?”

Knight recognized the drones, the sarcastic remarks, the unnerving giggling, and made the connections. There was only one person that spoke in a condescending tone like that.    

“Add?” He choked. 

Mad Paradox grinned.  

* * *

_Rune Master_

 

Rune was a magnet for the strange and bizarre - lizard men, ghosts, mermaids, and man-sized crab to name a few. Trouble liked to stir where he and his friends ventured, which was to be expected when one led a life of pursuing the El down its unwinding path of destruction. If Glave had the leisure to toy with him and the El Search Party with duplicates of former enemies that no longer existed in their world, then meeting his alternative self and those of his teammates was another weekend to the fire user. 

At first impression, Knight’s mannerisms and the emblems embroiled were one of a Velder soldier with high honors. Red armor, a cape, and a well-balanced sword. It was a dream Rune once fantasized as a child.  

Unlike the shadows from the Temple of Trials in Hamel, Knight was of flesh and blood, unashamed of prioritizing the safety of others before his own. Rune knew that much when the other fought off the demons to help him escape. There was no mistake that they were of the same core.  

Did things have to be this way? Would the results differ if Rune held ground and insisted on fighting the demons in Knight’s place instead? Rune could muse on the what-ifs, but he would only come to conclusion with hollowed potentials that never came to be.  

It was night time. The rare shining of the dimension’s sole sun had disappeared when they had lunch earlier. Rune’s first night in Demon Realm taught him that the moons rotated in irregular cycles; one of them lasted for half an Elriosian day and the red one took a few hours to cross the night sky.   

“What do mean you aren’t him?” Crusader demanded to know. His question held the authoritative weight suiting for the future leader of Hamel, assertive and unfaltering. The man in armor looked and sounded like Phantom, but lacked restraint and wore his emotions on his sleeves with pride. Frustration was visible in his features, lines forming between furrowed brows. 

Confusion, anger, denial. Painful raw emotions reflected off the people that resembled the people Rune came to see as family. In the minimal time he had the chance to meet and observe this new El Search Party, it hurt to stay silent and pretend he was their leader. He felt like a poor imitation of Knight and it showed from the reactions he garnered when he came out to them. It didn’t feel right to leave them in the dark and let them continue traveling with a liar.

“I’m not your Elsword,” Rune said with kindness reserved for evaluating villagers. A gentle and mild tone followed by a smile was met with quizzical stares. “I’m here to let you know the truth.” 

“You’re here because we found you,” Aether corrected. 

“You did,” Rune hummed. 

“If you aren’t Elsword, then who are you?” Rage asked. 

“William Phoru, silly!” Rune teased and stuck out his tongue like the mature adult he was. When there were no responses, the rune user sighed, “Doesn’t he follow you guys too? And I never said I wasn’t Elsword.”

It was the minor differences that kept Rune from mistaking them as his El Search Party. Aether left smaller footprints in conversations, small interjections and stealing a peek when she thought he didn’t notice. Angkor’s absence was an odd detail that left the fire user pondering if the demonic bat existed in Knight’s dimension. On the other hand, Rune didn’t mind because that meant he could have uninterrupted sleep without waking to the brat digging through his bag for spare El shards.  

Rage was not the only party member who looked different from his counterpart, but he carried himself in a sluggish walk - a Nasod arm and a ridiculous proportioned blade dragging through the wet forest grass. He was effectively a walking Nasod-human hybrid tank covered head to toe in armor and blades.   

“But you said…” Rage said. 

Rune huffed. “Look, I can prove to you I’m not your Elsword.”

Saying his own name left a bitter aftertaste for Rune, foreign. Just because they looked different didn’t mean they were complete opposites. What did Rune have that Knight didn’t? Rune reached for his sword from his back, only to come out empty-handed and bit his lips. Did he lose his sword in the fight against demons? 

“What’s wrong?” A woman with hair the color of fire looked at Rune with a serious expression, his older sister! Alternative universe or not, seeing Empire’s face was a reassurance that the red knight would be a consistency and things were going to be alright. Rune could always count on her to know what to do, or at least he hoped this one did.   

Ashamed to admit he lost his sword, Rune backed away from his original plan. Then again, he could always resort to his plan B and do what he did best. Moving his mouth until someone told him to shut up. 

“Then what are you?” Crusader asked. “An illusion?”

“He’s no illusion,” Bringer said. “Too annoying and talks too much to be one.” 

Rune took one look at the brawler and chuckled, appreciating the bluntness one would expect from Dominator’s counterpart. That was one consistency he recognized, but the same couldn’t be said for Bringer’s clothes. Tight shirt and pants with arms covered in tattoos? Now that he knew it was possible, Rune was going to bother Dominator when he finds the scientist into wearing more black and leather.   

“What are you laughing at?” Bringer turned pink. 

“I’m glad you’re the same, Add.” Rune said, “But I never thought I would see you wear black.” 

Bringer scoffed, “Is that what shocks you?” 

“Not the strangest thing,” Rune shrugged. “Aisha formed a contract with Angkor-”

“Who the hell is Angkor?”  

“A demon god.” 

“You have a wild imagination, I’ll give you that.” Aether commented, mumbling to herself. “A contract with a demon god? In what universe? How hard did Elsword hit his head?”

Rune twitched. He heard that! Fall on his head? More than once. Damage his head? Unlikely, but he should probably reassess his personal bias. He didn’t count on having a tough crowd to win their hearts, but he sure as hell was gonna try if it meant breaking his head. Maybe not if he valued not getting stabbed by Ultimate. Or Richter. Or both.  

“Aisha would never do that.” Crusader agreed with the mage, but paused. “What about me?” 

“You became a marksman and infiltrate enemies before they can find you,” Rune was giddy in getting Crusader’s attention. “Raven’s arm looks different, Ara wears more black, and Ain doesn’t heal.” 

“I wear too much white?” Apsara looked at her clothes. 

“You told me the last one before,” Crusader sighed. “What about you?” Concern painted in sky blue eyes, a million of thoughts racing in his head in an inquiry that quickly turned into a series of tall tales he wasn’t ready to accept.    

“You see, I’m very different.” Rune smirked, “I can shoot fire.”

It was satisfying to watch the shock on everyone’s faces. He didn’t remember seeing Knight using runes or fire magic when they fought together. This was going to be easy! This had to work, otherwise, he was going to have to get creative and start splitting hairs.   

“Uh, huh.” Aether failed to be impressed by the claim. “And I can control time and space.” 

Ignoring the skepticism, sparks emitted from his palms. Small fireballs danced at his fingertips, casting shadows stretching across his face.   

“See?” Rune grinned. “Pretty cool, right?” 

“You’ve been doing that since Ruben,” Bluhen cocked his head to the side. “Was there supposed to be more?” 

For real? Poster boy had access to fire abilities too? Then why didn’t Knight take advantage of that when they were fighting? Rune extinguished the flames and hung his head, sighing in exasperation. That was the most obvious clue, so now what?  

Rune didn’t hear the footsteps, a hand rested on his shoulder. Lifting his head up, he was greeted by a matching pair of crimson eyes gazing back. There was a visible determination not unlike Flame’s, but stern and unhesitant, holding a scabbard in hand. A black and sleek scabbard engraved with the title Knight Emperor. 

So that’s what their leader called himself. Fitting name for a person with an equally impressionable sword that was missing from its case.     

“I’m sorry we couldn’t save your sword. This was all we could find,” Empire apologized. “I’m glad Aisha and Chung found you.” 

Tongue-tied, Rune gave a solemn nod. From Empire’s perspective, her brother disappeared and then showed up with off-putting claims, ignorant of Knight’s true fate. He could argue with Aether and Rage all day on who he was, but things were different with Empire. She looked too much like Flame for him to find the heart to correct her. 

“Thank you,” Rune finally found his voice and accepted the scabbard. 

Well-polished and clean, it was maintained with care. Strips of leather wrapped around the edges into a scrap for the owner to wear around the belt outside of battle. It didn’t feel right to possess something belonging to a man he had talked to for ten minutes at best. Is this what Knight would have wanted?   

“Why are you telling us this?” Rage asked. 

“Because I’m going to leave,” Rune turned to face his back to the side, away from the others. “I need to find my friends.”

He was going to make a plan and pray that the other was somewhere in Demon Realm. Rune wanted to believe his counterpart would be as tenacious and stubborn on dying as he was.  

“Great, just what we need.” Aether rolled her eyes, “Two Elswords!”

“But we _are_ your friends!” Crusader protested. 

“Can your Elsword do this?” Rune stepped outside the tent. Flames exhausted from his oily palms. Red flares engulfed the oxygen in the air, smoke-infused with a sharp crisp scent of the forest. Fire burst into the sky in the form of a phoenix greeted by the stars.    

“What are you doing?” Aether saw the fire shoot past her vision and hissed, “You’re going to give away our location to the demons!”

“I think the red brat might be right.” Bringer snarled at Bluhen, “Check his El Resonance. What do you see?”

Bluhen frowned, “It’s the same, but his energy is different today. His magic levels are higher.”

“What should we do?” Cavalier asked. 

“The enemy might find us if we don’t leave now,” Daybreaker said. “Let’s move!” 

Before he had a say in the matter, a pair of strong arms (one human, one Nasod) lifted Rune off the ground. His legs dangled in the air as Rage threw him over the shoulders, upper body behind and lower body hanging loose on the other side.  

“Hey!” Rune pounded his fists on the older male’s shoulders. “What are you doing? Let me go!” 

“We’re leaving,” Rage said. “You’re going to have to stay with us longer and tell us more about the other Elsword.”  

Rune did not appreciate being manhandled. Plan B in convincing this El Search Party that he and Knight were different people was successful, but like the numerous plans he came up with, he failed to consider the next step once he reached his goal. Where were Blade and Ultimate when he was stuck in a rut?   

* * *

_Richter_

 

He looked at the starry heavens, reaching for the spot where he saw the burst of flames minutes ago, unmistakably Rune’s Phoenix Talon. Richter recognized the wing structures in the display of fire and sheer power. 

On the day he earned his title as Richter, he also made a promise to himself in protecting Rune and the El Search Party for the things they have done for the priest. The time they invested into him despite the inconveniences when the Dark El attempted to seize his very being. For those reasons, he could not ignore when Rune was taken by demons. As foolish as humans were, they taught him the lesson that it was that ambitious trait that made humans survive longer than expected.  

Humans have a phrase about having holes in their chest after suffering a loss, which Richter was quick to dismiss when Elsword first explained the concept. What humans failed to tell him was how much it aches when Rune was gone. Not even a month has passed since Rune was retrieved from the El and the redhead vanished.       

Their team didn’t designate leaders, but Rune was the heart in their group of friends. His encouraging words and willingness to open his heart pulled them together; he was an optimist that gave people second chances even to those that didn’t deserve it. Numerous of their friends had the brains and intellect to come up with plans, but Rune held a moral compass that was hard to come by.

Richter felt a spark. Rune was alive, his El resonance electrified the air as soon the sky was lit with fire. Anxiety lingered as the celestial ran through the forest, ignoring the prickling sensation and his skin turning hot in overstimulation to the presence of Dark El and demons surrounding them.  

“Is he still there?” Anemos kept her voice low, not wanting to disturb the forest’s inhabitants. It was admirable the lengths humans and elves sometimes underwent for the sake of others. He appreciated her for not feeling the need to fill the moment of silence with pointless chatter as some humans did.    

“He’s moving,” Richter said; he felt Rune’s El resonance drifting in and out of his range. 

“Then we move too,” Flame caught up with him and Anemos, hand over her claymore and legs closed together.

They were a group of eleven people, demons and Nasods or half-Nasods included. Richter was tired of counting, holding irrational hope that he had missed a number each time. Ms. Dark Mage and Mr. Ancient were caught up in a debate Richter could care less about.

“Extracting this is more efficient!” Dominator argued. 

“What are you, stupid?” Oz retorted. “That’s a waste of resources when you can use a substitute!” 

Devi was effective in dissipating their banter in a single sentence and a smile that made the two shudder. Richter did not envy whoever faced the wrath of the woman hailed from a kingdom now swarming with demons.   

“Things will be smoother if we were quieter,” Phantom remarked. 

“With our group?” Abysser snickered. “That’s not happening.”

“Maybe if half of us didn’t have such huge egos,” Timoria was bemused by the adults holding useless banter.   

“If things go wrong, remember the setup we discussed.” Blade reminded them. “Get into your positions and wait for my signal.” 

A former enemy, Mr. Half-Nasod was once the result of crude experiments conducted by Nasods. Years of observing the mercenary grow to become a reliable and irreplaceable team member left a bitter aftertaste for Richter. He didn’t hate Blade, but being next to the mercenary made his core seize in ways that irked the priest. The half-Nasod was demanding, throwing orders like Rune was no longer there.  

Despite initial aggression and the visible conflict Blade had with his Nasod arm up until recently, Rune looked up to the older male. He pestered the mercenary, joked, and asked questions on the trivial things humans worried about (“Is it gay to want to kiss your best friend? Asking for a friend.”). If the mercenary’s expressions were to speak for themselves, Mr. Half-Nasod was uncomfortable answering those types of questions, urging Rune to ask his sister instead. Although Rune was a magic user, he continued to home his sword and went to Blade to enhance his skills and knowledge in the way of the sword. This remained true when his sister joined their growing party.       

That familiar spark again. Rune, he was nearby. From below? 

His eyes fell to where his feet were, something shimmering gleamed in the undergrowth. Richter felt the power of an El Shard coming through. He lowered himself to brush the leaves off, blinking when he felt for its form.    

The grip and blade were infused with crimson material similar to Rune’s. A blue stone glowed where the cross guard met with the blade, an El Shard fragment. It was lighter than it looked and maintained balance when he tested it with one hand in checking for abnormalities. The owner took care of the sword and it showed. 

“My scans detected Elsword,” Ultimate announced. “He is ahead.” 

Richter hoped that it was the correct one. Things would be unfortunate if their target turned out to be Rune’s counterpart, but would it matter? They would still be Elsword, kind-hearted and naive with the strong belief that everyone could get along. It was a childish belief, but Richter had witnessed the Rune Master achieve the impossible more than once.  

But would the other Elsword recognize him? What if Richter never existed in the other Elsword’s universe? There would be nothing for Rune’s counterpart to remember if Ishmael found another solution in restoring the El. Was that something Richter could live with?

“We’re almost there,” An arm reached out, a firm hand resting over Richter’s. Flame smiled, “He’s waiting for us.” 

Claymore out, Ms. Fire walked in stride with her legs spread out and a fierce grin directed at Richter. Wild braids combed past her back and the fire knight had sparks dancing in her palms. It was easy to understand why Rune looked up to her. She held confidence and purpose in her words, unchallenged and unapologetic in her actions. Her words shook Richter from his trance.    

“He has caused trouble,” Richter said.  

“Yes,” she agreed. “That’s why we’re here to rescue him again.” 

A rare smile appeared on Richter’s features, “He won’t appreciate hearing that.”

“I know,” Flame grinned.     

Through cupped hands, Blade let out a soft caw, crowing into his mic piece. That was the signal. It started out as a joke when they were investigating the fires in Velder, but the idea stuck.  

Richter took the lead, summoning blades that materialized in his hands. His feet brushed past the grass and leafy terrain, no longer concern on making his presence known. Rune was here, minutes within their reach. He was going to repair what he did wrong. The priest refused to make the same mistake and lose sight of his friend, not after the El Search Party went through hell in the Hall of El. 

He sensed them. Rune wasn’t alone. There were others, several of them at least. Their El resonance was luminous in his third vision, akin to fireflies in the summers he remembered in Velder. Each of them had a unique wavelength, a rainbow palette near identical to the people Richter had traveled with. 

Humans. An elf, a Nasod, a cyborg, two demons, and a replica, Richter noted with disdain. There were several of them. Their faces were mirrors of his friends, impersonations that looked like the El Search Party, but the disparities were ludicrous, flimsy caricatures of themselves. Mr. Ancient’s claim was correct. He had found their counterparts. Richter strained his eyes for red hair.       

“I’m behind,” a female voice spoke to him through his communicator. “Don’t attack.”  

Footsteps followed closely from behind. Leaping through the forest on high heels, Anemos landed beside him. Mr. Guardian and Ms. Dark Mage were with her. The demon that followed Oz seemed right at home, flicking his tails and snickered to the dark mage for reasons Richter failed to see. 

“Creepy, isn’t it?” Oz saw the small group. “I don’t see Elsword yet.”

“There’s more of them,” Dominator said. “They’re being careful if they’re moving in smaller groups like us.” 

That meant they had people in their group doing the planning too, Richter thought. He wouldn’t expect less from their counterparts. This was where Rune has been hiding? He glanced at the gray-haired man swinging a pendulum similar to his. It appeared that the Ain of this world chose a different path. Richter could not sense Ishmael’s will in him. Seeing the fear in his own face made the priest frown. Why was he scared? 

“Who’s there?” The replica turned his head to where Richter and the others were hiding, “Show yourselves!” 

“He’s demanding like you,” Dominator snorted. 

Richter leered at the scientist. His counterpart wasn’t a fool then if they sensed their presence. The priest pulled himself away from his hiding spot to get a better look at his other self, but a pair of legs dashed past him before Richter would speak up.    

“You have a keen eye,” Anemos commended his other self. “We have a friend that can do that too.” 

“We?” The other Ain blinked, “Why are you here?” 

“We’re looking for a friend of ours,” Phantom said. “He’s about this tall, red hair, yells like an idiot.” 

His counterpart stopped smiling, lips curled at the end, but conflict was visible in their eyes in their struggle to articulate. Richter understood the feeling. They were overwhelmed, speechless in the sudden appearance of people who looked and sounded like their friends. He almost pitied himself if not for the fact that they provided no answers.  

“We’re looking for a red brat too,” a man in a black coat interjected. Mr. Ancient? His physique was a diversion from Dominator’s, lean but muscular with the face of a delinquent. “It’s been two days since he left.” 

“You didn’t answer his question,” Dominator studied his counterpart before gazing at the rest of the opposing El Search Party. “There are supposed to be more of you. Where’s Nasod arm?” 

“I don’t have to answer to you,” Mr. Ancient in black scowled. 

“That’s too bad,” Dominator drawled. “Because I thought you would be more cooperative. I guess a muscle head like you wouldn’t be interested.”

“Fuck off!” The brawler growled. 

The scientist smirked, “Do you speak to your mother with a mouth like that? No matter, I have ways of making people like you talk.” 

“I’m getting a headache listening to these two talk,” a woman that looked like Ms. Dark Mage muttered to a butler dressed in shades of blues. 

“Where did you get that?” 

Richter looked to see where his counterpart was pointing at. It was the greatsword he found on the ground earlier. 

“I found it,” Richter said. 

“Ain?” A male voice came from a distance, “Hey, Ain! Guys!” 

Both Ains turned to see Rune flopped over the back of a man with a Nasod arm. The redhead pulled his upper body up to wave at Richter, “You looked for me?” 

“That’s Ain?” The other Ms. Fox exclaimed with bewilderment.  

“Of course we looked for you!” Oz shouted, “Don’t think we were going to leave without you!” 

Rune was safe, Richter breathed. But what was the other Mr. Half-Nasod doing with the fire user and what kind of clothes was he wearing? It was the type of attire Rune once tried to convince Blade that it was what adventurers wore for casual wear.    

“Why do you have his sword?” His counterpart asked. “What happened to him?”  

Richter looked to the other with no answer. That sword belonged to the other Elsword? He empathized with his alternative in losing someone they were close to, but he remained silent. They had Rune and he wanted him back. There was no point in talking if nothing he said would give the other El Search Party a lead to where their Elsword could be.   

“Give him back,” Phantom looked to Blade’s counterpart for compliance. “I don’t know what’s going on, but you need to let Elsword go.”  

The other Mr. Half-Nasod turned the other way and ran off with Rune over his back. Rune opened his mouth, but Richter could not discern what the fire user was yelling through the wind. They were heading deeper into the forest. 

The brief moment of peace between the two parties disputed into utter chaos. Screams of panic and accusations flew back and forth between the groups like bullets, lasers and magical blasts exchanged to one another.   

Light flashed around Richter, long blades emerged from the power of the goddess to lend him her powers. His blades ran their course, glowing in a hot flash of anger. Wind currents followed the priest, leaving cracks in his footsteps in his pursuit for Mr. Half-Nasod’s look alike. 

A white spear with an orange orb enclaved at the center appeared in Richter’s peripheral vision. Its owner performed a deadly dance, a transparent veil wrapped around a wide-eyed woman who looked like Devi. The demons’ and Ms. Nasod Queen’s other selves were also here. He could make out their outlines as they shouted at Devi’s look-alike for instructions.    

Richter glared at the shadowed figures. He was surrounded.    


	5. Smokes and Mirrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Canon Path_ : Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen
> 
>  _Alternate Path_ : Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

_ Knight Emperor _

 

He was floating, fading in and out of consciousness in the depths of the mind. When Knight’s mind surfaced, the pain returned to his sense, tiny needles streaming pass his pores. Red flashed past his vision and his eyes snapped open. His hands reached for his chest, feeling for a heart pulsing through. Heavy audible breaths and the smell of moss greeted the knight.    


Cave, Knight grasped to make form a cohesive thought. He was trapped in a demon-infested cavern. Demons stronger than the ones he and his friends have fought in the past. The biggest one had geodes growing from is back and its insides - no, the demon was a crystal monster. It could have broken his spine into two if not for…   


The red-haired knight held his gaze at the man in front of him. A scar in the form of a pink jagged line slashing downward, lanky limbs dangling to the sides, and translucent skin thin as parchment paper. Who was he? Why did he share the same face as Bringer, who was nowhere as thin or gangly as this stranger?

“Add?” He backed into a wall.  


“Elsword!” Mad Paradox exclaimed.    


“What are you doing here?”  


“Elsword!”

“Why do you keep saying my name?” Knight was frustrated.  


“Elsword!” He feigned disapproval. “Is that how you greet an old friend? This is the part where you thank me.”

“I don’t know you.”

“Or do you~?” Paradox sang.  


Knight kept his lips sealed into a straight line. He knew Bringer, but he never met this man. This could be a trap. It was an attempt to get him to talk, that had to be the case. There was no hiding it that he was on his own and was vulnerable once cornered by multiple enemies. As the leader of the El Search Party, Knight was the perfect target because he had access to information about the El that any of their enemies would use to their advantage. If outsiders knew why they were in Demon Realm, that would put his friends in danger, a risk Knight wasn’t willing to test. Not after the effort they poured into rescuing him. He wasn’t going to put their efforts in vain without repaying them.    


What was Paradox? He didn’t look like a Henir cultist with the purple and magenta color scheme in contrast to the black and electric blue monsters in Elrianode. Unlike Henir cultists, the time traveler acted by himself when the cultists always appeared in bigger groups with monsters in their wake. The black sclera reminded him of the demons in Lanox, but that couldn’t be it. His movements were too fluid to belong to those of a demon.  


Ishtar was never going to let him off the hook if he was to ever suggest that demons lacked grace.    


“Why the bleak face?” Paradox chuckled, “You can talk to me. I don’t bite.”

“Tell me what happened,” Knight wasn’t as convinced.    


“Someone got lost and the cute monster said goodnight.”    


“I fought demons and a bigger one,” Knight said with curtness.

“Avoidable battles if you weren’t running and screaming so much,” Paradox rolled his eyes, iridescence and mechanical in eerie uncanniness. “Why are Elbrats so loud?”

Jagged ridges graveled to the ceiling and the walls enclosing the cavern, paving uneven paths the Dark Agate left behind. Limestone lined the walls and peeled away. Crystals from the ground up and black ink blots painted the ground until coming to an abrupt halt midway to where Knight sat. His forearm was cracked with dry blood and scar tissue forming where it hurt the most, wincing when he stretched and pulled a tendon.  


Crushed boulders trampled over, stalagmites and stalactites shattered into pieces and the ground weakened from the fight Knight had with the crystal monster. Pebbles crumbled under his boots into fine dust. The cave echoed with the sound of water dripping from the ceiling, sharp hisses from an unknown source unseen by the knight. He squinted for lines of purple amethysts, his gaze wandering to the ledge leading to the abyss below.      


“Where’s the monster?”   


“Gone.” Paradox teased, “Do you miss it already?”   


Again with the all-knowing tone and shit-eating grin like they knew each other. This man was crazy acting like they were somehow connected. Calling himself an old friend and now commenting on his fighting style. How would Paradox know about why he preferred taking on his opponents first on first over sneaking around and avoiding fights? He was a knight, not an assassin.  


Although… Paradox wasn’t wrong on pointing out the obvious. Hours of getting ambushed by demons placed a toll on Knight’s energy and resources. By the time he faced the Dark Agate, he was low on stamina and lacked the initial vitality he had at the beginning of his trek through the cave. Knight came in blind with the belief that it would fight like the smaller monsters, a beginner’s mistake that deserved much chastise. Perhaps he let his arrogance get into his head because a child was with him and Knight wanted to prove that everything would be okay.  


Anger flickered in his core. How stupid could he be? It was no better than cutting corners in training for the sake of flashiness. There was a flash of pain replaced by numbness and a period of timeless nothingness, but he was…            


“Alive,” Knight held up his hands. Fingerless gloves steeped in iron red, a reeking metallic smell mixed with his sweat. Whispering to himself, “I’m alive. How?”

“Can’t let the main character die in a side story, now, can I?” Paradox cackled.  


Knight realized. He was rescued by Paradox, not unlike the many times Bringer watched his back in Elrianode. An explanation he pieced together with the minimal informal he had, but it failed to answer more persisting questions. The time traveler spoke in rhetoric suggesting the impossible, an observer from another realm.   


Perplexed, Knight naturally wanted to ask more but stopped himself in realizing that would only result in more cryptic answers from the noodle spaceman. His answers were as vague as to how or why the El Search Party kept fighting brainwashed enemies for the past few years. One would think half of Elrios was brainwashed from the number of unavoidable fights they had.       


“And the child?” Knight asked. Surely there was something of them left if he was alive. When Paradox didn’t answer, he yanked on the time traveler’s collar, forcing the other to lean down at his eye level. “What happened to them?”   


Still smiling, Paradox laughed. “What child?”  


“There was a child,” Knight explained. “They were with me, they-”  


“Were they, now?” Paradox snickered. “A dangerous place for children to wander into such as yourself.”  


“I’m eighteen years old,” he growled.  


“Hardly a difference.”  


“They were defenseless and I was the only one who could fight.”  


He told them to stay close to him, hang on and let him take care of the Dark Agate. Leaving a child alone would have made them into an easy target for the crystal monster to pray upon. What option did Knight have without risking another life? In the end, he wasn’t strong and he had no one else to rely on. Not even someone who was as elusive as the child could avoid those shards when the monster let the lights out.   


The child pulled no strains with their weight when Knight lifted them up, less than what one would expect for a child of their height and age. Up close, a deep scar marked against one side of their cheek, a zigzag and a pair of asymmetrical eyes. Black sclera identical to ones looking into Knight’s field of vision with a devious expression.

Horror breached Knight’s thoughts. No. No, no, no, no, no, please no. He knew fate had a crude sense of humor and loved irony, but he didn’t want to deal with this again. Dread prickled his tanned skin when a pair of black gloves held his chin up. The undersides were hot pink, almost red.     


“You’re the child?” Knight choked.    


Paradox clapped his hands and beamed, “Congratulations! You’re faster than the last Elsword.”

“I’ve been protecting an old man?”

“Twenty-one, brat.” Paradox laughed, “Did you enjoy my gift?”  


The greatsword in Knight’s hand suddenly felt heavier in his hands, the redhead aware that its original owner was not present. This belonged to Rune, his counterpart. They were the same, yet there were distinctive differences that made them separate people. If Rune was here, the rest of the El Search Party couldn’t be far behind.    


The blade held a shine and a thicker build than what Knight was used to, a type of metal favored by battle mages to amplify their magic. Sparks flew from the blade when struck against boulders. His counterpart chose to compensate for their shared weakness of magic, why didn’t Knight think of that?  


“This isn’t mine,” Knight said.  


“A little mix-up,” Paradox was less concerned about the details. “That fight you had with the demon took longer than I anticipated. You’re not ready for Rosso.”

“Ready for who?” Knight demanded to know.  


Sharp pain seized his chest, his insides twisted. Knight hugged his stomach, reminding himself to keep his breaths even, fanning himself with his hand and leaning forward with his sword for support. He wiped his forehead and hugged his sides. Colors blurred in a mess of tears as Knight applied pressure to his forehead. He may be alive, but experience told him that he wasn’t out of the woods yet. The pain dulled into discomfort, persisting in his abdomens and chest. Knight lowered his head and wanted to throw up whatever Rage put into the dried meat.   


Knight cursed.  


“Oops, looks like the Time Sickness finally kicked in.” Paradox said with an unapologetic giggle.    


Time what? Knight didn’t like the sound of that and turned pale, “What are you doing playing around with me? What did you do to me?”

“You still don’t get it?” Paradox feigned annoyance, lips curled up and showing his teeth. “Ah, right. It’s your first time. I’ll have to fix that.”  


Lights went out.  


Crystals glistened in the blackened space, magenta flashed in the form of Paradox’s suit and artificial eye. The sound of gravel and something cracking under pressure snapped Knight’s attention to the source, waving his sword in the uncomfortable darkness.   


When the lights returned, the older man was no longer where he once was. Dark laughter flooded his eardrums in unison with unnerving cackling. Paradox emerged from the ceiling, head sticking out from a ripple in the dimension, torn into pieces for the time traveler to tinker with as he pleased. Below him was the Dark Agate holding the ominous lantern in its hand.  


Paradox had a fluid gait, crossing his legs one over the other with the skill of an acrobat walking over a wire with fear absent in his stance. He lacked the guarded tension hallmark of most adventurers in a cave home to demons and monsters. Hands over the wall, manipulating Dynamo with the same familiarity Knight had with his sword.

Crystal shards rained down on Paradox, thin needles penetrating him with the older male barking an ugly sob and guffawing in pain. His body shuddered and his limbs went limp without struggling as the Dark Agate scooped him up, claws curled at Paradox’s chest. A loud crunch broke from the darkness.  


Knight looked away. He wanted to hurl. It crushed Paradox like grains of sand, no time for the older man to even cry or choke before his life was stolen. The redhead drew his sword with unsteady hands, dread and tranquil anger sending sparks at his fingertips. Knight’s eyes fluttered to discover that the traveler’s body missing.    


A dimension ripped open from above, sliding to where the monster was for gravitational spheres to downpour with intensity shaking the ground from the bottom up. Rough crystal formed at the edges of the portal and a figure dressed in black appeared, phase shifting next to Knight.      


His left shoulder blade shattered into diamond shards; Paradox’s body lost visibility in shape and electricity emitted from his core. There were no holes in his clothes or blood to suggest he had been injured in the fight. It was as if Paradox was never wounded.   


Paradox ripped open a portal with his hands, clawing at the edges with his hands. Pulling his foot into the entrance, he stretched and widened the portal with his arms and legs until it was the size of the Dark Agate. He reappeared from behind, generating energy and shoving the monster into the abyss. The older male moved the portal to the ground level as the opening shrunk in size. An arm was torn off from sharp edges applying pressure to the Dark Agate’s arm reaching out for them. Paradox kicked the still twitching arm and stomped until it ceased its movements and fell silent.   


Knight gawked at the other man dusting blood off his sleeves, “Your spine. It snapped. The monster, you-”  


“Awww, look at you.” Paradox cooed, “Seal of Time reduced you to an infant.”  


“What was that?”  


He grinned, "can’t die if you undo time on yourself."

That’s why they were alive after fighting that monster. Paradox unwinded their injuries and restored their lives. With powers like that, Paradox had time and luxury to learn the enemies’ tactics and won otherwise impossible battles. But why would he have an interest in keeping Knight alive? The time traveler cheated death more than once, but how much would that unhinge a person?  


“What do you want from me?” Knight asked weakly.  


“What kind of popcorn do you like?” Paradox didn’t answer, as usual.  


Knight blinked, “I’m sorry, what?” 

* * *

_ Apsara _

 

Sky blue eyes glaring with intensity directed only to her. Azure locks flowed over their flawless features, too clear and smooth to belong to a person whose posture was accustomed to the battlefield. Light flashed under the melancholic moon. Her opponent summoned a wide array of spears, clashing against hers and sending white sparks flying like the fireworks she lit up at the summer festivals as a child.  


The man standing before the spear user held a stand hand over his weapons, pointed spears emerging from his palms with ease. White gloves gripped over the pair of weapons, the color of glass reminiscent to the stairs and platforms in the Hall of El. Iridescent and emitting a blinding light, forcing Apsara to shield her eyes.    


Was this man really Ain? He wielded a white gold pendulum with gold trims at the edges. His white attire and demeanor reminded her more of a mercenary than the priest Bluhen was, charging towards Apsara with no mercy at his disposal. There was no hesitance, going for her blind spots if she failed to cover her bases and stand guard. Projecting one spear after another, it was a macabre dance of blades, furrowed brows deepening in time to his precise footwork. Right foot up, left foot back, holding his stance and unflinching when Apsara pulled back and forced her weight against his.  


“Don’t let him heal!” Chevalier shouted.  


A lotus flower formed as Apsara spun her spear in a figure eight, launching the ball of energy and shoving her opponent back. Knocking Richter off his feet, Apsara smacked the priest with the end of her spear. She leaped into the air, performing a somersault midair and diving in to slam her weight against the man. Air escaped from Richter, choking on his saliva and struggled to break free. Apsara missed him by a mere hair and charged with her spear in hand, audible gasps rippled through the cold air as she attacked.     


Richter gritted his teeth, anger flickered in his features. A forced serene facade masked over a fury reaching through his attacks. He fought a losing battle against four, but he persisted. Static surged from his palms and wind picked surrounded the man, drawing more blades and launching himself several meters into the air, turning his head to face his other opponents.

A tall Nasod dressed in white with a black helmet swung a chained sword, Oberon phase shifting and crossing blade with a heavy clang. Two drones floated midair, engaged in a transversal angle. Lasers blasted from the drones, spinning and converging energy aiming for their target.    


“Tell us what happened to Elsword,” Esencia talked over the clashing blades.  


Richter breathed heavy breathes, shoving Oberson’s head down and using his knee to hit the lower jaw, pushing the Nasod servant away. He fired deliberate projectiles to Esencia’s drones, hitting and shifting them at the base.  


Apsara squeaked and ducked from a laser pointing to where her head once was. That was a close call! The spear user hung her head and sweated bullets. She was glad Esencia was on their side, but having the Nasod Queen’s attacks directed back was a terrifying thought for the young woman. Her hair remained frizzled from proximity to the energy beam, sinking her body and crawling over to Esencia to avoid another laser.    


“Then you understand that he isn’t yours,” Richter spoke. A deep harsh echo carried in his voice, “Are you aware of the consequences for your actions?”   


“He’s not with us,” Chevalier said. He and Ishtar circled the priest, keeping distance in a guarded stance, gun blades and soul spears ready for sudden movement.     


“I wasn’t addressing you, Blue Demon.” Richter glared at the butler.  


“How dare you talk to Ciel like that!” Ishtar pointed her soul spear at the priest, “What are you doing with a weapon you have no right to claim?”  


Her wings wavered, a cyan blue membrane stretched over thin bone structures and beating the air with anger in the tiny demon’s features. Ishtar whined when her butler blocked her from lunging at Richter, fuming and crossing her arms.  


“I apologize for that,” Chevalier said with equal iciness as the priest. “You must understand how important Elsword is to us. We just want to know how you came into possession of his sword.”    


“Is that what this is about?” Richter pulled out the greatsword from his belt and sighed, “Humans and demons alike show unnecessary concern over materialistic things that hold no value. This weapon will not bring him back.”

Apsara protested, “Please, it’s important to him! If you’re Ain, why are you fighting us? Aren’t you friends with Elsword? I’m sure he wouldn’t want this!”  


Recognition sparked from Richter’s expression, anger? Fear? Emotions alternating with one another before he settled for indifference and narrowed his eyes, “Ms. Fox in White. No,  _ Devi. _ ”  


Bluhen had abilities that garnered wariness from Eun’s end, but he was a patient man and did not judge when she asked him to explain something in simpler terms. He had a child-like wonder in everything that made him gained stares when they visited towns. After Bluhen nearly ran the team bank dry because he discovered cinnamon rolls, Apsara decided he was harmless. Anyone who had a sweet tooth couldn’t be all that bad, could they?  


This stranger who responded to the name Ain… He stole Knight’s sword, gave them crude nicknames, and treated them like they were the enemy. Why did Richter call her by that name? Apsara wanted to believe there was a reason behind Richter’s behavior, but little emotions were revealed when Esencia asked what happened to Knight.       


_ Be careful, Ara. _ A feminine voice whispered in the back of Apsara’s mind,  _ I sense something about him.   
_

_ What is it, Eun?  _ Apsara asked,  _ The Dark El? _   


_ No.  _ The fox spirit paused,  _ High levels of energy resonates from him, more than Ain. Let me take over.  
_

Apsara shook her head,  _ He must know something about Elsword if he has his greatsword.   
_

Knight had to be nearby if his sword was found by someone else. There were others with Richter, their shapes unrecognizable in the shadows and concealed by the night. How many, she could not tell, but it was an impressive size, at least a dozen of them. Could they be humans the dark elves mentioned this morning?  


Apsara quivered her lips, hard pressed in finding the positives in their situation. It felt like they were interrogating Richter instead of talking to an ally. Not unlike the shadows they have fought in Hamel and the Hall of El, Richter was averse to answering their questions, disdain was apparent in his brief and curt answers. But Richter was different. He held a will of his own and reason. Despite not drawing his weapons back, the priest had them lowered and was listening, even if reluctantly.       


“If you know anything about what happened to Elsword, tell us!” Apsara pleaded, “We haven’t seen him in two days and we don’t know where he went!”

“I don’t know any of you.” Richter said with an even tone, “And I’ve never met this Elsword of yours. Elsword is with you-”

“Which one?” Esencia asked.  


Ishtar mused. “Having more than one Elsword makes this conversation confusing.”  


“Where did you find the sword?” Chevalier asked, “If I may ask.”  


“In the forest,” Richter replied. “You have my duplicate with you, but he failed to find it before me? Are you done interrogating?”  


No use, Apsara lowered her head in defeat. If only Knight was here…maybe Richter would have listened. The redhead was good with words and preventing situations from escalating like Empire, but neither of the Sieghart siblings was present. What would Empire do if she was here? Would she smile and reassure Richter or put her foot down and lay down what needed to be accomplished to make the discussion work? Empire made talking to people look easier than it actually was!  


“Ain had a lot on his mind,” Apsara clutched her hands around her spear. “I’m sure you do too!”      


“Your Elsword is not with me,” Richter tensed. “Where is Mr. Half-Nasod with no shirt?”

Rage Hearts? The mercenary escaped with the rest of the El Search Party because of the sudden appearance of their opposites. Were they really mirrors of themselves? From the few members Apsara had met, they were strong-willed, unwavering on their opinions and determined to retrieve Rune. It was true that Rune wasn’t their leader, but he was still Elsword, so maybe he could be helpful in helping them find Knight.   


If Knight wasn’t with Richter, where could he be? Was he lost in the forest somewhere surrounded by demons, waiting for them to find him? Empire tried contacting him through their communicators for hours, but no one picked up. Were they too late that something happened to him? Or was he taken somewhere far and away from where the connection between them has weakened?    


Knight had to be alive, she mumbled a prayer and pursed her lips. If something happened to him, Empire would be left with no family, just like her. Apsara couldn’t bare to see the knight captain suffer, not after everything they have gone together.    


Apsara breathed, “You’ll have to catch up with our friends if you want to see Raven.”  


“Noted.” Richter vanished from the crowd encircling him, appearing behind Apsara, “Then I understand that I must take on those that defy the goddess.”  


With projectile weapons materializing in his palms, energy surged as Richter leaped. Six spears encircled the priest, casting them to where her spine was. Apsara turned and raised her spear, but Chevalier beat her to it, shielding the attack with a cross-shaped gunblade larger than the butler. Ishtar launched herself into the air, soul spears forming at her fingertips to counteract Richter’s. The priest backed away to the sight of Esencia and Oberson joining the demon sovereign in the fight, back to back with the Nasod Queen giving orders to her servants.  


“What is he doing?” Ishtar growled.  


“I think we angered him,” Chevalier ushered her to stand behind his gunblade. “Get ready for cover!”     


Blue lines shone from above, a paradigm grid forming and crossing over in loops and lines into an array of magic circles. Raised in the air was Richter looking down and weapons materializing for the priest to grasp in his hands, more floating beside him. Spears and projective weapons showered down as the magic circles glowed.  


Apsara twirled in a half-step, using her spear to leap away from the countless weapons crashing down her path, using her weight to pull herself from harm’s way. She nearly tripped over falling debris, scrambling to pull herself up and dodge a spear aiming for her foot. The earth shook in vibration to the intensity of their battle. Tucking her spear under her arms, Apsara curled her body into a tight ball and rolls away. She overheard Esencia throwing commands to Oberon and Ophelia to help Ishtar and Chevalier.          


Her feet barely touching the ground, Esencia hovered with a raised arm. “Heaven’s Fist!”  


The Nasod queen grabbed her roughly by the shirt, lifting and pushing Apsara away. She landed behind Ishtar and Chevalier. Clothes torn from the fight and suffered a few cuts, but the demon and butler were otherwise unharmed.   


A Nasod arm raised in unison with Esencia, descending as she gave the command. The giant mechanical arm sent shockwaves as it crushed its sole target. Dust and debris clouded her vision and made Apsara gag, waving her hand and covering her mouth. Once things began to clear, she could make out the outline of a tall figure.   


A swordsman in a white hooded jacket trimmed with black fur and a tan complexion emerged from the settled dust. His blade was of a blue metallic, its handle grip wrapped in black ribbons held by his left arm. Gold eyes hardened when they formed eye contact.         


“Raven,” Esencia identified the man.  


“Eve,” Blade lowered his blade. “I see you have found one of our comrades.”  


Apsara gasped in seeing the older male. That look again; she was worried. It held the same disdain Richter gave her. Apsara wasn’t used to being at the receiving end of scorn and indifference. It took her a moment to recognize that Blade’s left jacket sleeve cut around the shoulder area to make room for a mechanical but sleeker Nasod arm. She had almost mistaken the arm for a human one with how smooth and fluid its movements were. Blade used his Nasod arm to wield his sword, a contrast to Rage.  


Arm pulled over Blade’s shoulder, Richter limped in his walk. His hair lost its shine and returned to a darker shade of the sky. Cuts and bruises decorated his skin exposed to the elements.  


“You took too long,” Richter said.  


“We’re limited on members,” Blade replied. “Can you still walk?”

Richter nodded.  


“Let’s go,” Blade pulled out a sphere from his jacket pocket and tossed it at their feet.  


Mist evaporated, dense fog obscuring their vision. Apsara reached for where the two men once were, only to run her hands through nothing. Gone. Where have they disappeared? The young woman turned to see her friends following her.   


“They’ll be back,” Esencia said. “Raven is not one to run away.”  


“Diplomacy seems to be out of the question,” Chevalier rubbed his head. “Not ones to talk, are they?”

“Did you see the way Ain talked to us?” Ishtar fumed. “He looked down at us like we were inferiors!”

_ We need to be cautious, _ Eun warned her.  _ They could be planning something. _

_ I know, _ Apsara thought with sadness. Would things have worked differently if she was more cautious in her words?   


Sensing her distress, Eun reassured the young woman.  _ You did what you could. No time to regret what has been done.   
_

Apsara looked into the mist with sadness.

* * *

_ Furious Blade _

 

Blade rested his head against the base of a tree not too far to where they have encountered their friends’ counterparts. There were at least four of them when Blade found Richter cornered by them, weapons raised. Sweat patched over his forehead, the older male looked up to one of the Demon Realm’s numerous moons, clenching his Nasod arm into a tight fist and releasing. Wiggling his left digits left a tinge of an emotion Blade hasn’t felt since he last saw his father.  Wonder and amazement to how human-like the motions were, no longer claws gripping over his palm.  


Calibrated to be sensitive to the slightest touch, it processed information from its owner as quickly as a natural one would, maybe faster. It was one of Dominator’s better inventions that didn’t involve lasers, although the scientist proclaimed he was more than happy to change that. Mentions of an auto-tracking rocket arm were the last straw where Blade had to put his foot down. Ultimate’s suggestions for spears wasn’t helping things either. The swordsman let out an audible sigh on his teammates’ lack of tact. Let him use his arm for its intended purpose!  


“What were you doing fighting four people at once?” Anemos applied pressured over Richter’s open wounds with a cotton ball.  


“They had Elsword,” Richter replied.  


“You should have ran away or called for backup!” She snapped, “One of us could have come and helped!”  


The priest did not protest but kept his head lowered. Lips visibly quivering, his shoulders shook as Richter let out shallow gasps from the short sprint they endured. It was a rare event for the celestial to use his feet to run rather than using external forces to propel himself off the ground. There were limited magical sources for Richter to rely on, forcing him into making pragmatic decisions in saving his energy for more immediate matters.  


Blue hair drenched in sweat and red dirt, he reminded Blade of a demon plant minus the deadly neurotoxins. His skin flushed pink and had glassy eyes, blinking rapidly and mumbling prayers to an unseen being Blade had lost faith to years ago. Richter was strong, but his unbreaking loyalty reminded him of the comrades he once worked with, before Owen…  


“And they didn’t let you see the brat?” Dominator looked up from his screens. “Who did you see?”

“Elsword wasn’t with them,” Blade frowned.   


Anemos and Dominator caught him up with the details of what happened when they came into contact with their counterparts. They caught Richter in possession of something that belonged to one of their friends. Pleads and excuses were lost amid the fighting and confusion. The swordsman rubbed his forehead in frustration when he caught sight of his alternate throwing Rune over their shoulder. Of course it had to be his counterpart, Blade looked up to see a dark sky. The universe seemed to enjoy pitting him against himself on more than one occasion. Hopefully, this Raven will be more open to reason than the previous ones.     


“Both of the Demons were there.” Richter pressed his hand over another cotton ball over his opened wound as Anemos wrapped a bandage over. His lips tightened into a straight line, “and Ms. Fox.”

Lights flickered out from Dynamo, holographic screens dissipated into thin lines and Dominator stopped typing. The scientist turned to Richter, mumbling to himself and biting his lower lip in anger. Dynamo twitched in unison with their master, blinking purple light that made it distracting for Blade to watch without closing his eyes.  


“She’s with them?” Dominator cursed, “Of all luck to deal with her.”    


“Do we really have to fight her?” Anemos rested her hand over her brow.   


“What else will it be?” Dominator growled, “That’s what she does. Have you seen what they’ve done to this guy?”  


Richter leveraged his arm to test for pain, pressing his finger over the bandage with a light tap and twisting his wrists for movement. Potions and elixirs sped up the healing process, but it didn’t ease the tension between them in seeing the injuries on their teammate. If Blade hasn’t found Richter earlier, how long would the priest last in a fight? Richter was easily outnumbered by well-coordinated fighters with years of experience. Blade didn’t expect anything less from their alternates. Their numbers and adaptability were what made them strong. Close bonds only made that more so.

“Elsword isn’t with them, so shouldn’t we reprioritize whether to fight them?” Richter asked. “It’s clear that their motive is to separate us from the others to reduce our number.”          


“We can’t ignore the possibility of her going after our friends,” Blade said. “Our fight at the very least will slow her down.”

“That’s a bleak outlook,” Anemos commented. “Have more faith in us.”  


“It’s not that I don’t trust our efforts,” Blade rubbed his neck. “It’s our luck.”

It couldn’t be helped that they would have to confront their counterparts, but that didn’t make it any easier for Blade to accept without thinking of the possibilities. Another unavoidable fight, he thought with bitterness. It was going to be troublesome sorting things out, especially with himself. The last time Blade tried to reason with himself ended with ruffled tail feathers and a one sided fight.   


“Then what is our objective?” Richter asked.  


“Slow down their progress,” Blade said. “Don’t let them catch up with the rest of their group. If you can take them down, do it. We don’t want to prolong a fight and waste our resources if it’s something that can be helped.”

Brutal words, but pragmatic in a situation such as theirs. They hardly had the luxury to adjust to their new environment before they encountered the other El Search Party. It was uncertain how long their alternates have stayed in the Demon Realm, but it was evident that they were more familiar with their environment from their strategic placement and movement. They were at a disadvantage going against a group that was more familiar with their surroundings than they were.   


“Why are you looking at me for answers?” Blade gripped his blade, his fingers trembling over the handle.   


Dominator scoffed, “you’re always bossing us around like we’re children.”

“So we leave as quickly as we come.” Anemos mused, “and what about Ara?”

Blade turned pale. Right… a strategy to combat the woman who shared Devi’s face. Luckily, the alternates wore different clothes, so they couldn’t mistake them as their own teammates, but it didn’t make fighting them any easier. Apsara was still a skilled fighter and would likely be as brutal as her counterpart if given a reason to be.     


“Ms. Fox-in-White is the most dangerous in close combat,” Richter said. “The Demons are more synchronized.”    


If Ultimate was here, Blade would have sent her to fight Apsara, but she was with Flame and Phantom. Splitting their party into smaller groups had the advantage of covering more ground, but it was important that there was at least one person with the ability or technology to detect Elsword. Dominator would be just as sufficient in keeping distance between himself and the martial artist. His drones could be meddlesome for close-range fighters.      


“That sounds like our friends all right.” Anemos adjusted her gloves. “Is there anything else we should know about who we’re fighting?” Anemos asked.

The priest glanced at Dominator to the side, hesitant in his answer. “Ms. Empress is with them.”

“The Queen?” Dominator drawled, hands clasped and fingers crossed. “Tell me more.”  


Confused by the scientist’s sudden eagerness, Richter threw a quizzical look to Dominator.  


“Three more Nasods were with her,” he reported. “One is tall and carries a sword, another uses projectiles, and there was a little one with her.”  


The Nasod Scout? The appearance of the smaller Nasod flashed in Blade’s mind. Hoisted by claw-like appendages, it crawled on its fours like a crab and used its size to attack unexpected enemies. Esencia having control over multiple Nasods was new, but the return of the Nasod Scout was relieving news. At least not everything about their alternates was completely different.    


“They move on their own accord and wait for orders. They won’t fight unless she’s nearby,” the priest continued, “Ms. Empress has the most drastic change in how she fights.”

The description eerily resembled the Nasods under Adam’s command. They were weak, but their creator mass-produced them at an alarming rate. Ultimate didn’t have that ability, so Blade prayed that the same applied to this Eve. The swordsman was not as enthusiastic as Dominator about the possibility of fighting Nasods again.     


“Lu, Ciel, Ara, and Eve.” Anemos murmured, “And they work well together from what Ain told us. Who will go after Elsword in the meantime?”  


“Eve said she’ll run scans for him and Elsword.” Blade said, “Lu and Ciel might be further from them, but they’ll be on the lookout as well.”   


“If this fight is too much for you, then allow me to take on the Queen.” Dominator grinned, “You can deal with the fox.”  


Blade twitched at the transparent excuse. Using Esencia as an excuse to avoid fighting Apsara… No tact whatsoever, the older man covered his eyes with his Nasod hand. Although with the scientist’s extensive knowledge of Nasods, a fight against Esencia would reel positive results. They would be evenly matched because of Dominator’s drones and Nasods.     


“I oppose,” Richter raised his hand.  


“You haven’t even listened to my perfect plan yet!” Dominator jabbed a finger at the blue-haired man, “Is it your life objective to disagree with every statement I make?”

A faint line curled at the corner of Richter’s lips, subtle but distinctive for the otherwise stoic priest.  


Dominator groaned, “Can’t even complete a sentence without Mr. Holy-Art-Thou over here to rain on my parade!”  


“Have you finally caught up on modern language, Mr. Ancient?” Richter taunted the man in white.  


“Do I need to separate you two?” Anemos walked between the two men and turned to Dominator. “You can fight Eve, but don’t forget why we’re here.”

Whether it was the strange gleam in Anemos eyes - usually reserved when the El Search Party trailed off-track, or because of the unsettling aura the elf gave off when her patience was wearing thin, she was effective in maintaining peace in their group. She didn’t have the charisma Rune had or the sternness Blade established from years of being in the army, but she always seemed to know the right words. A simple nudge or phrase from her was all it took to get them back on track and focus on their goal.     


The scientist froze, blinking upon realization to who he was talking to. Dominator smiled and nodded, but a rare sign of timidness was there, not unlike one of a child caught red-handed with arms deep in the cookie jar. Blade snorted at the mental image and comparison.  


Richter’s reaction was more subtle. There was less vanity in his expression, but it was hard to tell with the man who kept his emotions close to his chest.      


“If Mr. Ancient fights Ms. Empress, then I’ll take the Demons.” Richter said.

“Are we fighting them individually?” Anemos asked, “We’ll be spreading ourselves too thinly.”  


“It will weaken them as well,” Richter disagreed. “They’re strong because they’re together.”    


“Wasn’t it the other you who ran off with the brat?” Dominator looked at the swordsman, chuckling to himself. “Almost didn't recognize the other you with all the white hair. It’s a shame we missed an opportunity to analyze a fascinating tool. The power readings Dynamo gave me are nothing like what I’ve seen.”  


“We’re not fighting myself,” Blade said with curtness in his tone.  


It wasn’t that he feared himself - Blade was past the point of being fearful after the mess they left behind in Elrianode, but it was irking to see a reflection of himself staring back at him. The same angular face painted with a tired expression, aged with years of fighting and traveling.    


It was a brief moment, no less than maybe five or six seconds, but Blade’s eyes fell over to the arm. Black as a crow, crimson streaks bled over his alternate’s arm. Gold tips painted over Rage’s claws; spikes ripped out from the shoulder and forearm. The arm looked more demonic than Nasod, pulsating and contrasting rhythmically to its host’s breathes. It was  _ alive _ .  


“I gave our friends information about what to do if they have to face me.” Blade said, “Our goal is to save Elsword, not fight our counterparts to the bone.”    


“Then I guess we have no choice but to follow your lead, huh, gramps?” Dominator cocked his head to the side with a sly grin.  


Why was everyone insistent on giving him unnecessary nicknames? Each one was as ridiculous as the last, sometimes making no sense at all. Twenty-nine years was hardly old if he was comparing himself to Ultimate and Anemos, although one would think Richter was a century years old from how he talked.  


“Do you really think this is our only option?” Anemos asked.  


“I don’t know,” Blade admitted. “One of us just attacked them and are making demands they can’t give into. In their eyes, we’re the enemy and I might have to agree with them.”

The elf woman looked at him with sadness.  


Blade knew he wasn’t wrong. Like many regretful decisions, there was no pulling back on what already happened. The swordsman wasn’t going to waste his time getting angry over Richter for initiating a fight with themselves. If Seris was still alive and was kidnapped instead of Rune, Blade would have done the same with worse repercussions. Unlike Richter, he wasn’t surrounded by good company when he was at his worse.     


“I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I think this fight will end differently than you anticipated.” Anemos giggled, “I’m sure Elsword will let the other Raven know what he thinks about our situation.”

He snorted. Rune was going to talk his kidnappers’ heads off until dawn broke if given the chance, but the imagery was enough to garner a faint smile from Blade.    


“Are we leaving?” Richter asked.  


“Yes,” he pulled his blade out. “Let’s go.”    
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, it has been a while since I uploaded a new chapter. Without going too much into detail about my life, my schedule has changed and I won't have a lot of time to work on fanfics. In addition, I no longer play Elsword as much because of new interests and due to CP restrictions in the newer dungeons. I will see what I can do to finish this fanfic, but future updates will come slower. Thank you for your patience and for all of your support!


	6. Mindfulness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Canon Path_ : Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen 
> 
> _Alternate Path_ : Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

_Code: Esencia_

 

Fighting has temporarily ceased. In what appeared as a sign of victory was cut short by the appearance of an additional enemy. He shared Rage’s appearance in facial structure and body, but his disposition and body language spoke volumes of his intentions. Esencia understood when Blade extended his sword, lowering his body with the poise of a veteran fighter. His narrow eyes revealed a common emotion the Nasod queen recognized in all living beings she had fought. Blade was wary, defensive.  

Her scans displayed readings Esencia saw when she looked at Richter. Same levels of El as Rage, yet there were differences that perplexed Esencia. Nasods and humans’ levels of El fluctuated depending on the situation and their condition, but always had an average reading. Rage and Blade had similar levels, but they were distributed in different areas. It was as if Blade had neglected his Nasod arm in favor of another form of fighting to have developed higher stamina than his counterpart.   

Grabbing Richter by the arm, the swordsman aided the blue-haired man in a quick but clumsy exit. Rage had once performed an act of kindness when Esencia was damaged from a fight against the demons invasion in Velder. He and Bluhen were not enemies, but they were not what humans considered to be close friends, only lifting their heads slightly in acknowledgment if they happened to be next to each other. Seeing their alternates come to each other’s aid wasn’t something Esencia could have predicted.    

 _How many were injured?_ Empire asked through their communicators, her intonation rose at the end in concern. _Is everyone all right?_

“How did you know?” Apsara asked, “Are you hurt too?” 

The red knight gave a quiet chuckle, _You left your speaker on again._

“How- how much did you hear?” The martial artist stuttered, waving her arms in alarm. Empire didn’t need to see Apsara’s face to recognize the panic in the martial artist’s expression, exaggerated even by human standards. Hair strands perked from her hairline, falling over Apsara’s pink face.    

 _Enough to catch that argument you had with Ain,_ Empire said. _That was him, right? He didn’t sound very friendly._

“Hmph, that is a subpar description of what he is.” Ishtar puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms closer to her body with a deep scowl. “An ungrateful brat who won’t call us by our names.” 

“Doesn’t ours do the same?” Chevalier was confused, “He only recently started calling us nicer names.” 

“Is Rune safe?” Esencia asked. “Has he spoken?”

Out of the rune user’s insistence, the party had dubbed him as Rune to avoid confusion between the two Elswords. He was their leader, yet at the same time, he wasn’t Knight. Members of the El Search Party commented on his clothes (“Are you sure you don’t need another jacket?” Crusader asked). 

With a gentle smile, because humans became eased when given little gestures, Rune failed to conjure a proper answer when Esencia offered him tea. A melancholic expression flashed in his eyes before the magic knight agreed to help them. The same eyes Esencia had when she opened her eyes to discover that her faithful servants were no more. Guilt. Pain. Things she once felt shame to possess. Did both Elswords experience them too?   

It was difficult to determine the cause of the appearance of their counterparts due to insufficient data, but the Nasod queen was prepared to utilize what they did know. Rune was another Elsword who claimed he had contact with their leader. That was why she accepted the El Search Party’s decision to keep Rune. His resonance with the El could be helpful in addition to Bluhen’s in finding Knight in the shroud of dark El and demon inhabitants.  

Empire lowered her voice into one of sadness. Lights flickered from their communicators, no longer flashing a message to all team members. She didn’t want to be heard by the others. Her voice reached their smaller group of four. 

 _Rune’s still here,_ Empire said. _I told him not to push himself, but he kept apologizing, saying it’s his fault._

“They located us,” Esencia looked to the distance on her left side, allowing her lens to zoom into the moving shadows in the distance. “There are four of them.” 

“We’ll talk to you later,” Apsara spoke into her communicator. “Keep everyone safe.” 

Her speaker went off before Empire could give a response.     

The sky glowed, iridescent light shining in all directions. Gold thread swung over Richter’s head, steel-blue eyes gazed ahead with long hair extending down his back. The colors in his eyes inverted - pupils and sclera turned blue and white irises. El radiated from the man’s pores as he drew out pointed blades for each hand; they lacked physical shape but were held together by an immeasurable amount of sheer will. 

Several blades formed around Richter, merging into a longsword as he dashed forward and propelled himself. His blade clashed with Ishtar’s, barbed weapons sharpened at their ends with each side waiting for a moment of hesitation from their opponent. Richter backed away at the sound of bullets coming from his right. 

Smoke emitted from Chevalier’s gun blades. Bullets pierced across the battlefield the second time, bringing the priest’s attention over to the butler. Fighting a human opponent made Chevalier cautious, pulling his trigger away from Richter’s vital organs. It was apparent that the blue-haired man’s intention was to keep the priest alive. He had no interest in killing his own kind when they could make use of Richter’s knowledge. Richter’s intention in attacking them wasn’t something Esencia could extract from a database if one existed.  

Chevalier adjusted his feet, spread apart to fire a giant cannonball. Intensive levels of energy spiked from his gunblade and imploded. The aftershock threw Richter against the tree trunks with an audible thud. The teal haired man wiped his forehead, furrowed brows and stared at the crisp cut indented into exposed alabaster skin.     

Clutching her left arm, Ishtar smirked. “Your timing is impeccable as always.”

“My apologies,” Chevalier landed on his feet. The cross-shaped firearm on his back shifted as he repositioned himself. “I’ll have to be faster next time.” 

A shimmer of light shone in Ishtar’s hand, materializing into a blue spear. Light shimmered at her feet, leaping midair and blue flames flared from her body. Fire crackled and engulfed Richter in a sea of blue. The forest’s temperature rose in unison to the duo crossing their weapons. 

Moby and Remy alerted Esencia to look over her shoulder. Her lens shuttered. Oberon summoned by her side, her servant raised a blade in each hand for a wide slash. Each pose was precise with a purpose, reading his opponents’ moves to formulate the next attack. The chain attached to Oberon’s shoulder blade clanged when he pressed his blades together to block an attack. A pair of heeled shoes with spiky cleats came into her peripheral vision. 

The wind carried Anemos’ weight in a complex dance of jumps and sprints. The markings on her thighs made her similar to Ventus’ not only in appearance but in the way she held herself. She was confident, but the smile tugging at the edge of her lower lip gave way for a very human expression in which her brows were lifted ever slightly, gleaming with a spark of playfulness.

Anemos twirled, performing somersaults and landing high jump kicks into Oberon’s chest. The Nasod assistant flew across, slamming his foot back in resistance with blades dampening the elf woman’s attack. 

“Sorry! My bad~” The elf spread her fingers in a lazy wave, “I heard you were here. Didn’t know you had extra friends with you!”

Esencia winced when Anemos left an indentation between Oberon’s ribs. Pulling her servant back, blue screens projected from Remy and Moby. She had a sentry drone take over and ordered it to charge. Its small size took Anemos by surprise and made the elf lose her footing in the sudden attack. Anemos took the fall in grace and landed on her palms, bringing her legs back and into a backflip to avoid further damage. 

“Friends…” Esencia pursed her lips. Extending this fight would be beneficial because it would buy time for the rest of the El Search Party to get away from the chaos, but she recognized the flaws, as well as a Nasod should. Longer fights meant a reduction in supplies and high risk in losing valuable team members if any of them were injured. She had her servants, but they didn’t perform well in extraneous fights. Identifying and targeting Anemos’ weakness must be a priority. The Nasod queen trusted her friends’ ability to take on the other three.

“Airelinna,” Anemos brought her palms together. A gentle breeze summoned a small creature, leaving a blessing and restoring her stamina. Her footsteps became lighter as she drew out her bow. Arrows formed at Anemos’ fingertips and shone, raining down upon the Nasod queen.          

“Oberon,” Esencia drew back a hand to summon back the Nasod servant. “Protect.” 

Oberon held his arms out and summoned a blue dome-shaped barrier between Anemos and them. The electric field sparked as he raised his blades at the elf, pushing her back and blocking her attacks.   

“You’re not chatty,” Anemos tucked her body into a low crouch. She hugged her left arm and winced in pain, sweat trailing down the side of her neck with a tired smile.  “You and Eve would get along well.”   

Esencia blinked. The other Eve? Something in her circuits clicked at the mention of another Nasod queen. They would likely hold the same code if the other Eve followed the same path as she did, but it was not the first time the thought had occurred in Esencia. The loneliness persisted even after she reclaimed her servants. Would the other Eve experience the same emotions as she did?

“Unless you know where Elsword is, there is nothing to add to this conversation,” Esencia said. 

She ordered Oberon to retrieve and raised her hands to summon her other servant. Humanoid in appearance, Ophelia was shorter than Oberon and donned a knee-length dress.  

“I thought you would say that,” Anemos sighed. 

Propping herself back on her feet, Anemos leaped from across, taking long strides and using her magic to increase her speed. The elf strung her bow back, firing three arrows at Ophelia. Ophelia emitted electric currents from her core, catching the arrows midair and reducing them to ashes.      

A kick to the side, a powerful wind churned from within Anemos. Powerful wind picked lifted Esencia into the air as the elf struck Ophelia between the ribs, sending the servant flying across the forest. The tornado dropped Esencia to the floor, but not before she dropped into Oberon’s arms. She thanked the Nasod and patted Oberon by the shoulder to be lowered. 

Oberon sliced through the air with his blades, forming a circular motion as he danced a macabre dance. Moby and Remy burst into awakening mode as Esencia activated the Queen Core. The core configuration reversed into a ring with the core at the center and blared a violent red. Lasers shot from the core’s essence in unison to Oberon striking into their target. 

Blood gushed from Anemos’ forearm. The woman wrapped the injured arm with a spare piece of cloth and applied pressure to it. She kept her weight in the back of her feet and kept moving, her eyes danced between Esencia and the Nasod servants. 

“The way you fight reminds me of someone,” Anemos breathed. “He’s not one to underestimate the enemy either.”

“You acknowledge being the enemy?” Esencia asked. 

She giggled, “I’m not blind in your distrust of me.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous,”  Esencia denied. Until there was enough information about the El Search Party’s counterparts, she would withhold trust until there was evidence saying otherwise. The Nasod queen was uncertain about having an amicable opponent, too friendly to make her comfortable.   

“Do you now?” Anemos drawled.      

“Oberon,” she called for her servant. “Sonic Wave!”

Appearing in front of the queen, Oberon took charge. His helmet shone as he raised his legs and kicked the ground to propel himself at Anemos. Oberon performed a backflip for a wide slash with the side of his blades when Esencia detected foreign Nasod technology. Before her program could detect the source, an unknown object flew past her field of vision. It followed Oberon. Moby and Remy detected its movement guided by a tracking device. There was insufficient time to identify it. A flat disc the size of her palm fired into Oberon’s body, increasing the number of dents in the Nasod before returning to its owner. 

Four drones appeared together as a cluster. She picked up high readings in energy as pink lasers fired from them in unison. Oberon fought to resist the tension, waving his blades to inflict damage, but they persisted. Temperatures rose the closer the drones approached Oberon, melting through his plated exterior and forcing the Nasod to shut down.     

“What kind of drone is this?” A male voice rose from the dust. Sparks flew from a pair of magenta eyes, “Is that all the Queen has to offer?” 

Esencia narrowed her eyes. Oberon was a _servant_ , not a drone. She did not need a facial recognition program to inform her who the man was.  

Dressed in white, Dominator had six drones and a pair of circular ones following him the way Moby and Remy did for her. Using his drones as a makeshift seat, the man crossed his legs and ground his heels against what was left of Oberon’s faceplate. The black portion was scraped to expose melted circuits and snapped wires. 

“Didn’t I tell you I would take on the Queen?” Dominator pulled Anemos up from the floor, “The fox is all yours.” 

“Leaving her to me and Raven?” Anemos was not as impressed. 

“It takes time to set up the perfect experiment,” the scientist waved his hand. “Wouldn’t you agree, Eve?” 

Her circuits ran hot in response to his intonation. Dominator talked more than Bringer by a wide margin. Regardless, she held the same emotion as she did with the brawler who proclaimed himself to be a Nasod engineer. Irritation flared from Esencia’s emotion control circuit before she had the time to rein back control on irrational thoughts. 

Dominator mentioned a fox. Apsara was a target to the opposite El Search Party because of Eun. They viewed her as an obstruction from confronting the martial artist and sent Dominator to fight her. Leaving the Nasod specialist to fight the Nasod queen was a logical decision on their part. Oberon was no longer in service, but Esencia still had her servants and her friends. That would be enough to sustain herself.       

“No response?” Dominator chuckled darkly, “That’s fine. The priest told me about your new drones. Let’s see how they fare in an experiment.”  

* * *

_Rune Master_

 

“How many were injured?” Empire spoke into her mic in a hushed tone, whispering words not meant for anyone to hear. “Is everyone all right?” 

Rune leaned inward, yearning to listen to the conversation the red-haired knight had with their - _her_ teammates. They looked like his friends, something he was still scrambling to piece together with as much grace as one could in his situation. He wasn’t going to pretend that he understood why there were two El Search Parties, but he knew that Empire was concerned for the well-being of her friends. Empire wouldn’t be his big sister if she wasn’t as caring and took responsibility for the pain of others. 

A cold chill ran over Rune’s pores, a cool breeze rustled the leaves from the tree trunk where he laid his head to rest. If he gazed at the sky, he could have identified all of the constellations overhead. The stars’ alignments shifted from their positions in Elrios, but they were recognizable once he adjusted his perspective of them. 

_“I’m here if you need to talk.” Empire’s voice rang in his head._

Ever since he confronted Solace and gave himself to the El, he gained newfound sensitivity to everyone’s wavelengths. He saw colored lines connecting the users to the source. Although he wasn’t as adept in detecting and differentiating El resonance as Richter, Rune knew as soon as he met Knight. They ran on the same wavelength, a red spark formed between the two before violently torn apart by the demon encounter. 

_“Why do you talk to me like I’m him?” he asked._

Rune reached for his communicator, toying with the white device clipped between his jacket sleeve. The thin purple highlights shone innocently under the moonlight. His sister’s counterpart was occupied with her own conversation and the rest of the group were tending to their wounds from the previous fight. This was his chance to contact his friends and make a run for it. He needed to let them know where he was. 

 _“But you_ are _him.”_

Was he? Rune was no longer sure. He may have shared the same El resonance as Knight, but did he use it to its full potential? His father and sister trained him the way of the sword, only for Rune to pursue magic in their absence. Knight stayed true to his ways and became a Velder knight, never losing sight of the dreams Rune abandoned in Elder.    

_“Knowing that I’m not him, you still hold me captive?” Rune lowered his head, “That’s selfish of you.”_

Rune knew he hit a sore spot because Empire flinched from the disdain in his tone. Captive was a strong word, but being tossed over Rage’s shoulder like a rag doll without his say in the matter wasn’t exactly something he was gung-ho about either. Who would have thought Blade’s counterpart could make impulsive decisions on the fly without making a lecture out of it? 

_“You’re the last person Elsword talked to.” Empire whispered, “Any clues about his whereabouts would help.”_

So they were going to keep him here until he spilled the beans or when they found the poster boy for heroism? Rune didn’t like it. Weapons were drawn and emotions ran high. As long as Knight was absent, any words of reason would fall into deaf ears.  

Slipping away now was a possibility, but it was a fool’s plan if Rune wanted to be outnumbered and outpowered. In unknown territory infested with demons, the odds were against him if he wanted a successful escape. Although the group was four members short, seven people remained. It was best to stay low and wait until his friends could find him. Ultimate and Dominator had the technology to track him and Richter, Abysser, and Timoria had their keen senses.         

_“I know you’re not happy but…” Empire choked, “Please. He’s my brother.”_

Rune bit his lips. He was awful at saying no to his sister. She just wanted to see her brother again. How could Rune deny her that when he went through the same pain? Knight gave it his all and pushed him away in exchange for his livelihood, an act of selflessness he had clearly learned from his sister. It was a weakness that was going to be exploited against him one day, Rune looked up in exasperation. 

How hard could it be to find a redhead in a dimension where everything came in shades of blue and purple? If Knight was anything like him, he wouldn’t stay quiet for long and cause havoc to whoever was unfortunate enough to kidnap him. Rune had doubts Knight was one to stay put without fighting back. The rune user wasn’t even aware of Knight’s existence until hours ago, yet it had become easy to accept his other self after the initial shock.   

Rune did what he could to be discreet in turning on his communicator without making it obvious. No need to alert the El Search Party that he was making a call. He saw Knight’s friends using similar devices as his, identical in everything but the color schemes.   

“Come on, work!” Rune mumbled to his communicator. 

It worked fine when they were in Elrianode. Why did it lose connection now? Was it the high concentration of Dark El or demonic energy? He allowed the device to flicker to life and stayed still. Static filled his eardrums as he struggled to find a connection. No luck.  

Was there no other way to contact his friends? Rune looked at the device in defeat, pondering if smacking it by the side would fix it. Dominator would probably yell at him for that, but at least he’ll get a good laugh out of it.    

“Elsword?” 

“Ack!” Rune tossed his communicator in the air, juggling it between his two hands before stuffing it in his jacket pocket. His shoulders relaxed when he saw a pair of eyes the color of the Hamel sea. “Hi, uh… Chung. What’s up?” 

“Do you mind if I join?” Crusader pointed at the patch of grass beside Rune, “We won’t be moving until everyone is well-rested.” 

Rune shook his head, biting the side of his cheek. What was he going to do? Say no and tell Crusader to go elsewhere? Discomfort edged in the back of his mind at the thought of shooing the other male away. He scooted to the side and made room for the guardian, pulling his legs into a criss-cross with his arms on his lap. Next to the full armored Crusader, Rune felt naked and exposed to the elements in his unbuttoned white jacket. 

Phantom once explained to Rune about the material used for the armor Hamel soldiers donned in combat. There was a science in making the white armor durable enough to absorb damage in battles, but light enough for the wearer to stay on their toes and avoid detection by the enemy. The armor and destroyer made Crusader reminiscent to Helputt, who Rune had met briefly before he left to fend off the demon army. Would Phantom still have a father if their party found the elder Seiker earlier?   

“I’m sorry about how I’ve been treating you.” Crusader rested his cannon against the tree trunk. “I should have listened to you and now we’re in this mess.”

“I’m not sure if that would make a difference,” Rune closed his eyes. “Carrying me off without an explanation isn’t a well-thought plan.” 

Crusader stared at the rune user but agreed, “I guess not…” 

“Never thought Raven was the impulsive type.” 

“What is he?” 

Rune grinned, “a bird.”

“I’m being serious,” the guardian deadpanned.  

“How can you say I wasn’t?” Rune covered his chest with one gloved hand, “that really hurt. I thought we had something together.” 

Crusader turned his head away and let out a quiet huff, sweeping his bangs to the side. He wasn’t going to ignore Rune, was he? Not even an acknowledgment of his ridiculous statement? Phantom would have thought it was funny, Rune looked at the guardian in disbelief. 

A pointed hair ornament held his ponytail together and gave the guardian a regal look like the princes that lived inside Rune’s storybooks. His facial features were Phantom’s, yet they were different. Was it because Rune was aware that this was not the Chung he traveled with? Or was it because Crusader held caution in approaching him as if he was an abnormality? Someone to be wary of?  

“Why are you in Demon Realm?” Crusader asked. 

“Can’t a guy take a scenic stroll?” Rune dropped his smile when he realized he wasn’t going to get a response from Crusader until he dropped the facade. “It’s the same reason as your Elsword. We’re looking for information about the Dark El and the El is unstabilized again because of me.”

“The El,” he echoed. Recognition flashed in Crusader’s face, horror and guilt pained in his eyes. “Unstable because of you? Elsword, that isn’t your fault-”

“Call me Rune,” he interrupted. Rune was not going to deal with the confusion of two Elswords if they were going to talk about him. It hurt to see Phantom’s look-alike show undeserved solemnity for a carbon-copy of their leader.  

“You’re just as foolish as him,” Crusader said without venom. “Don’t take the blame for everything when it’s our fault too.”

Ah, this conversation again. He could feel Crusader’s fixed stare into the back of his neck. It wasn’t fair feeling complacent in talking to a man who looked so much like Phantom. So serious, yet had his emotions out on display like a playbook. Rune almost felt guilty for toying with him.   

“That’s what he said, too.” Rune let out a genuine laugh, “Did Elsword succeed?” Rune was hopeful. Did Knight find a way to stabilize the El without a human vessel?  

“No, the El is unstable.” 

His heart dropped. Nothing was different from his timeline? Rune glanced over to where the rest of the El Search Party were. Moonlight shone across to where he and Crusader sat, just enough for Rune to make out the figures dressed in green, red, purple, and black huddled together. That must be Daybreaker talking to Empire and Rage. Their shadows leaned against the base of an overhauling tree lined by fluorescent moss. Rune could barely make out Doom Bringer’s silhouette with his weapons floating beside the brawler. Flowers bigger than them curled at the end of their sharp-edge petals, roots scrawled over the damp floor.  

Crusader turned his attention to where Rune’s was. Sitting at the base of the tree was Aether talking to Bluhen. The two had their heads close together, moving their lips in inaudible exchanges. Their quiet murmurs filled the emptiness between the deep parts of the forest. Crusader’s his eyes crinkling when he saw Aether explain something to Bluhen. 

 _Don’t be stupid,_ Rune scowled. That’s not Phantom. He and Oz have done collaborations in the past, but he didn’t see her like that. Phantom wasn’t interested in… No matter how similar they were, Crusader didn’t choose to become an assassin. They couldn’t be any more different. No need to get frustrated. 

“Is something wrong?” Crusader turned to face Rune.  

Rune held an unsteady gaze at the blond man, searching for signs of Phantom in the guardian. Same complexion and body structure, although it was hard to tell with the heavy armor plates. 

“Your crown thing,” Rune pointed at the hair ornament sitting at the back of Crusader’s head where the ponytail started. “It’s falling off.”  

“Oh, you mean this?” Crusader tugged and pulled it out. He ran the comb teeth through his hair, tucking it back and pulling his hair to make sure it stayed there. “Wow, you have an eye for this. Thanks!”            

“Sure,” Rune hated how hollow he sounded. The redhead sighed, “Doesn’t it bother you that both of us failed to stabilize the El?”

“It was our decision to rescue Elsword.” Crusader’s expression remained kind and patient. “Even if it meant risking the world, he meant more to us than the El.” 

“Placing your trust into one guy,” Rune tilted his head. “Is that a wise decision?”    

“Are we talking about you or Elsword?” Crusader asked. 

“Both.”  

Forget about holding accountability for a party of twelve. Rune never asked to be placed with the responsibility to keep the world in balance. He was no longer the awkward teenager searching for an adventure and place in the world, but doubt in himself remained. Why him? There were knights and soldiers more capable than him!  

“You’re not the only one searching for ways to keep the El alive.” Crusader got on his feet and offered a hand to Rune, “You have friends to help.” 

Rune accepted the male’s hand and was pulled up to his toes, shaking his legs from a bad case of pins and needles. “How do you know they don’t hate me for pulling them into all this?” 

“I don’t,” Crusader admitted. “But if they followed you into Demon Realm, I doubt they do.” He stole a glance at Aether again to see the mage leaving, “Let’s head back. Everyone’s waiting for us.”

“Thanks for the talk,” Rune looked at his scarless hands. How did Bluhen do it? He should ask if Richter could do the same. “I needed it.” 

The guardian smiled, “That’s what friends are for.” 

 _But we just met_ , was caught in the back of Rune’s throat when Crusader smiled. The rune user ducked his head and ran to catch up to the El Search Party crowding beside a giant flowering plant for shelter. He was surrounded by familiar faces, yet they were all new to him. Rune took a deep breath. The sooner he helped them find Knight, the closer he was to return to his friends. What a mess. 

* * *

_Dominator_

 

Collecting battle data from their opponents was panning out to be better than Dominator ever could have hoped for. The butler and his demon brat were occupied by a disgruntled priest with no tack. Thanks to Anemos, the queen was worn down and allowed Dominator to come in and take down one of her main Nasods. Blade’s plan was to pull away three of the opposing team’s long-ranged fighters to reveal Apsara’s blind spots.  

“Don’t tell me this Nasod is all you have.” 

Dominator grabbed a broken Nasod arm and tossed it to the rest of the white armored Nasod beneath his feet. Disappointing. Has Esencia gone weak from the security of relying on her servants? Richter said she had more Nasods under her disposal. Where were they? 

“Oberon is a servant,” Esencia glared.   

“My apologies,” Dominator said with amusement. 

How interesting. The queen saw her subjects as sentient beings despite being their creator and programmer. Had Esencia been an organic lifeform, Dominator suspected she would have broken into angry tears over the damage he had done to the Nasod.    

“Ophelia!” Esencia ordered her servant, “Assault Spear!” 

Another Nasod rose from the ground with a spear almost twice her height. Ophelia, was it? Weapon pointing downward, Ophelia descended. Dynamo blocked most of the impact, shielding him from the attack. Pressured strained against Dominator, placing his weight to the back of his feet and gritting his teeth. 

Dominator gagged as dust and debris settled around him. It was going to take hours for him to wash out the dirt after this, he scowled. No matter, this battle should be easy. His eyes landed over to Ophelia, who had sparks flying from her forearms and one leg pulled back into a fighting stance. Just a little further and he should have enough information on the Nasod servant. 

“Drone Activator!” The tracking device shot in the form of missiles, aiming for Esencia. 

Ophelia dashed to take the hit for her queen. The device latched onto the Nasod’s stomach and flashed purple to signal the target’s location. Dominator reached for his panel as Dynamo alerted him on his opponent’s presence. Blood trickled down his leg as Dominator caught Esencia firing electric shocks alongside her Nasods. His vision went red as Dominator experienced high voltage of electricity traveling through his body. 

Dominator snarled and bared his teeth. He wasn’t going to let Dynamo and his armor reach their limits before passing out. Not when he was close to acquiring data on another model of Eve. Sparks flew from Dynamo as Dominator installed a set of drones at his feet. Lasers fired and rained down on his opponents, casting harsh lighting against the dense forest.     

Launching herself up into the air, Esencia fired electron balls as she glided away from the explosion. Electric currents shot from Ophelia’s forearms before her exterior was decimated by the heat from Dominator’s Starfall. The Nasod’s outer shell cracked before she was recalled by Esencia. 

“Impressive,” Dominator stopped to catch his breath. His face stung from the bleeding, how troublesome. “You have separate Nasod units to address your limitations in battles and your powers are still functional. I wouldn’t expect less from the Nasod queen.”

Esencia had a core hidden behind her bangs. It shone a brilliant light despite the accumulating scratches from the current and previous battles. Most Nasods would have lasted in half the time Esencia did in their fight, but it helped when she had an array of servants to fight for her.  

“Surely you have something to say,” Dominator rubbed his chin. “Don’t you have questions to why you are no longer the only Nasod queen? Do you realize that means there are multiple timelines existing in different dimensions?” 

“Be quiet,” Esencia said. “Unless you know where Elsword is, discussing this is pointless.” 

“The red menace?” Dominator snorted, “Don’t make me laugh! You have him. I am-”

“Annoying,” Esencia looked down at the scientist. “You talk a lot.” 

_Ouch._

“Blunt as ever, I see.” Dominator wiped the blood trickling his mouth with his sleeve and grinned. “Why are you fighting me then? Certainly not because you want to listen to my lovely voice.” 

“Elsword is missing and was last seen with yours.” 

“An idiot attracting another idiot,” Dominator commented.

Learning that Rune cooperated with the other Elsword was valuable information the El Search Party would find helpful. The scientist froze when he saw a shadow from above, a giant mechanical arm summoned over Dominator’s head. It slammed into the ground, sending seismic waves vibrating through the ground. 

Heaven’s Fist missed Dominator by mere inches as he phase shifted to a higher place. Rocks shot from the ground up and tossed him around, applying pressure and shoving him to the side. His body protested in the rough treatment and to the metallic taste in his mouth as Dominator crawled on his fours.  

“Don’t be rude,” Esencia glared.  

Looks like he hit a sore spot when it concerned the opposing team’s Elbrat.       

“Apocalypse!”

Screens surrounded Dominator before he summoned Nasod cubes to unionize into one several times their size. They moved together as a unit and followed their master in search of a target. Individual cubes rearranged themselves to resemble a flower. Apocalypse shot lasers from the end of its petals and fired missiles. They exploded as they came into contact with an invisible dome protecting Esencia.  

A shadowed figure formed from the dust. Esencia’s third Nasod assistant wore a white trench coat over a pair of black boots with a gold visor hiding his eyes. He landed feet first with his head lowered, bowing to Esencia and wielding a blade. Nasods obey their creators, but the ones under Esencia’s command treated her like their ruler. Were their codes based on human behavior or was it simply them recognizing Esencia as the Nasod queen? 

“Ferdinand, battle mode!” Esencia cried. 

The Nasod dashed forward, electric currents traveled through his blade and struck. Sparks clashed between Ferdinand’s blade and Dynamo, absorbing the impact and reflecting electric shocks to the Nasod. Apocalypse fired a particle beam at the Nasod, forcing Ferdinand to recede from Dominator.    

Dominator summoned a drone and activated it midair. A black hole formed around the drones and caused an air suction, pulling the Nasod servant and his queen away from the ground. He launched a drone and attached it to his target. Numbers appeared on Dominator’s screen in a countdown only visible to the scientist. The smell of burning metal filled his nostrils as the explosives set off on Esencia’s body and stunned the ruler. Charged Impulser released its hold and Esencia collapsed to the floor.  

Apocalypse hovered over the scientist and pointed the particle cannon to Ferdinand. Good, cube. Esencia’s Nasod servant zipped through the air with acrobatic grace, evading lasers and missiles from the destructive cube. Apocalypse trailed behind Ferdinand, nipping at his heels for lack of better wording.      

“What’s wrong, Eve?” Dominator taunted, “Did you run out of servants to fight for you?” 

It was interesting to note the destructive code’s absence in Esencia. Was the queen aware of the ancient code? Or did this timeline fail to raise the factors that could have pushed Esencia into becoming a destructive Nasod as Ultimate did? Not only did her appearance contrast Ultimate’s, but her stamina and how she fought suggested that her codes were a variation from her counterpart.    

Wait. Dominator turned his heels at a realization and checked his scans. His eyes widened. Esencia was still active. A lone figure blurred, too fast for his eyes to have time to come into focus. Electric currents crackled from the edge of Ferdinand’s blade. Hot pain erupted from Dominator’s body, red spots dotted and bled into his vision. Lightning struck his body and traveled down his chest. Dominator hissed in pain, closing his eyes shut and hugging his shoulder blade where Ferdinand had struck. His body shook, gloved hands drenched in blood and sweat. Dominator ignored Dynamo’s alerts flooding his screens.

_Damn you, Eve._

Dynamo huddled together in defense when Dominator turned to face Esencia’s Nasod. Ferdinand raised his blade and swung past where Dominator’s head once was, turning to strike again before the Nasod’s body shone in bright light. Ferdinand’s body shuddered, his movements churned into a sluggish response before the Nasod vanished from sight. 

Dominator checked for Apocalypse’s status. Datalog said it wasn’t Apocalypse that forced Ferdinand to shutdown. Unless… The scientist pushed his screens aside and looked at where the queen was supposed to be.      

Esencia remained laid down with her porcelain face to the side and visible cracks on her body. She was in sleep mode and was conserving energy from a forced shut down. Her long figure was hidden by layers of a white gown smeared by red demonic dirt. A bulk of metal stuck out from her ribs at an odd angle, coming close to jabbing into someone’s leg. The elf had her foot over Esencia’s chest and rested her chin over one knee.     

Blood gushed from his shoulder and Dominator’s face turned red, moving his arms so he could use his jacket to stop it from further bleeding. The blood was going to seep through his clothes and he would have to wash it again. How troublesome. His stomach churned when she placed a hand over his arm.  

“How much does it hurt?” Anemos asked. “Are you okay with sitting?”

Dominator nodded, forcing himself to speak. “Ha, the queen is no pushover.” 

The elf supported his back with her hand and ushered him to rest against a tree trunk, lowering his body and making sure Dominator kept his balance. He closed his eyes shut and breathed through his mouth. It stung when he stretched his shoulders for Anemos to inspect. 

Anemos produced a thermos in her hand, twisting the top and opening to reveal crystalline liquid filled to the brim. A strange flower laid at the bottom of the thermos - white petals blooming out of its blue center. Steeped in boiling water for hours at a time, it had a bitter herbal taste that refused to leave Dominator’s mouth after taking a gulp with a pinched nose. It was a disgusting concoction (“Everything’s edible once you heat them up!” Ignia said with a wink.), but it somewhat lessened the pain by numbing his nerves.  

Dominator looked ahead, refusing to look as Anemos opened his bag. No matter how many battles he fought, he couldn’t stand the sight of blood on his own body. It reminded him too much of old memories he wanted to forget.   

He smelled the ointment she used for all occasions and applied pressure to the wound with a cotton ball. Mental images of a woman with white hair and gentle eyes flashed in his mind. The scientist fluttered his eyes open, careful not to move too much unless he wanted to feel his tendons sting. 

“I found valuable information that may help us,” Dominator blurted. “Elbrat was seen with theirs.” 

“The other Elsword?” Anemos added another cottonball to soak up the blood. She pulled out a bandage to wrap around his shoulder blade. “I did hear something about that, but I didn’t see anyone else with Elsword.” 

“Theirs have gone missing too,” he added. “Taking the brat as a replacement, huh? Ow!”

“I don’t think so,” Anemos tightened the bandage and sighed. “Their Eve mentioned looking for their Elsword even though ours is with them. They might have thought Elsword could help find him.” 

Hey, that was painful! She could have cut his blood circulation! Dominator directed his glares to the older woman, hoping she would recognize his annoyance and feel guilty. Anemos threw him a deadpan expression and might as well have shrugged, _Nice try, Add._

“Elsword this, Elsword that.” Dominator grumbled, “It’s always about that kid. We might as well find him ourselves so we can trade, I guess. Use him as a bargaining chip. Brat for a brat.”     

“We can do that,” Anemos had a thoughtful expression. “Are you telling the others?” 

The scientist covered a part of his face with one hand. “I didn’t think we were going to search for two. Are we spreading ourselves too thin?”   

“Let’s focus on finding their Elsword since we already know ours is with them.” 

Dominator snorted, “we’re going to need nicknames if we’re going to keep talking about them.” 

“Isn’t this something you enjoy talking about?” She asked. Anemos tucked in the ends of the bandage and washed her hands with water from a water bottle.  

“Yes,” Dominator chuckled with a smile. “Inconvenient, but fascinating nonetheless.”  

He saw Anemos shaking her head with no foul intent, a look of wonder she held when she didn’t quite understand what he was talking about. It didn’t bother him. No one in the El Search Party besides Ultimate had a true grasp of what he did. Ultimate wasn’t much of a conversationalist and Rune was more likely to ask him questions about his research than the Nasod queen herself. Hm, it was quiet without the red punk to fill the silence with his pointless chatter.

“Eat up,” Anemos offered him a tart, topped with vanilla buttercream frosting and jam made from Elysion’s star fruit. “You need to heal.”  

“They won’t be happy once they find her,” Dominator stole a glance to where Esencia laid. 

Restoring Esencia wasn’t his responsibility, but Dominator had a feeling the other El Search Party will try to make him do it anyway. Ugh. Nothing a few hours of repair couldn’t fix once she regained power, but he was worried. To his knowledge, Blade and Richter were still fighting if they hadn't returned or contacted them. 

“Let’s focus on getting back to Ain and Raven,” Anemos said. “They need our help.” 

The Star Fruit Tart kept its shape when Dominator broke it at the center to take a bite, a sweet but citrusy taste. He stuffed another tart into his mouth, snickering when Anemos shook her head again but smiled. Collecting battle data for the fox and the demons were worth the investigation. Fighting their teammates’ alternates was going to be interesting, Dominator mused. He left Esencia sitting upright against a flowering plant with her eyes closed before joining Anemos with Dynamo behind his heels.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being so patient with me. Life has been busy for the past few months and I realized that the year is almost done. I have read everyone's comments and will try my best to continue writing the later chapters in between busy hours. I miss writing these characters and I’m thankful for those who still stick around to read my works.


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